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For Healthier Teens, Keep the TV in the Den
Older adolescents who watch in their bedrooms pick up bad habits with the remote
By Kate Rockwood
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Posted Apr 7, 08 12:55 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Older teens feeling too fit, well nourished, and smart can turn all that around with one simple move: install a TV in the bedroom. Kids 15 to 18 with a boob tube in the boudoir were twice as likely to watch 5 or more hours a day than those who had to get their MTV in the family room, Reuters reports—no surprise there, but their diet and exercise habits were also suspect.
Nearly two-thirds of older teens studied had a bedroom TV. Although the presence of a TV didn't correlate with a greater incidence of obesity, girls got less vigorous exercise and boys had lower GPAs than their TV-free counterparts. "It really clearly points out that there's some merit to not allowing your child to have a TV in the bedroom," said a researcher.