By Rachel Stockton (rachels@foodconsumer.org)

The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine is reporting that children who watch the most television have higher blood pressure than those who watch less.  This is the first time higher blood pressure has been directly linked to television viewing.  In prior studies, a definitive link was shown between watching television and obesity, which then leads to high blood pressure indirectly.

The journal is currently reporting on a study out of Michigan State University; 111 children from ages 3 to 8 were monitored over four years. The kids wore accelerometers, which monitored their physical activity. Additionally, researchers received information from the children's parents on how many hours they spent watching television, playing video games and using the computer.

Interestingly, higher blood pressure was not directly related to sedentary behavior, such as quietly reading a book, or working on the computer.  Those who watched the most television (from 1.5 to 5.5 hours/day) had higher systolic and diastolic rates than those who watched less than 30 minutes per day, regardless of whether or not they were sedentary.

This body of research will become one more good reason for parents to limit the amount of television their children watch.  Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that babies and toddlers who watch television do not display improved motor and language skills by age 3, as had previously been assumed. For that particular study, researchers focused on 872 children and monitored how much television they watched from birth to age 2.

According to the AAP website, there are a number of positives that children experience when their television viewing is limited.  There is a lower risk of being overweight; studies have shown that those who watch the least television had healthier diets than those who watched it for several hours per day.  And they also have less exposure to violence and disturbing content that can elevate their blood pressure.

As a parental gauge, the AAP recommends that parents allow their children to watch no more than 2 hours of (high quality) television per day.