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Physically active kids get into less trouble
Reuters Health (April 5, 2006 By Amy Norton) reports on a study that suggests teenagers who are physically active in any way are less likely than their TV-watching peers to smoke, drink or take other health risks. Researchers found that compared with teens who spent much of their free time in front of the TV, those who were active often had higher self-esteem, better grades and were less prone to risky behavior like taking drugs, smoking, drinking or having sex. The findings, based on a national survey of nearly 12,000 middle and high school students, are published in the journal Pediatrics. Other studies have linked certain content of television programs, such as violence and sex, to children's behavior. But beyond this issue, Gordon-Larsen told Reuters Health, kids who spend hours watching TV "miss opportunities" to socialize, develop skills, learn teamwork and have other experiences that their more active peers benefit from.
In other findings, teenagers who played sports with their parents were less likely than TV lovers to engage in any of the behaviors the study considered -- from drinking and drug use to delinquency. This finding, write the study authors, underscores the "important role" parents play in their children's activities, or lack thereof.
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