Here’s how watching TV as a child affects adulthood, according to a study.

In parenting, many parents do not want their children to be seen TV in their early childhood and do everything possible to keep them away from this square apparatus. Now, a study from the University of Otago has added weight to the evidence that watching too much TV at this stage of life can lead to poor health later in life.

The study, led by Professor Bob Hancox of the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, is published this week in the journal. Pediatricsfound that children who watched more TV were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome as adults.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels that lead to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Using data from 879 study participants in Dunedin, the researchers found that those who watched the most TV between the ages of 5 and 15 were more likely to have these conditions by age 45.

Time spent watching TV was asked at ages 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. On average, they watched just over two hours on a weekday.

“Those who observed more had a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome later in life,” says Professor Hancox.

“More TV time as a child has also been associated with an increased risk of being overweight and obese, as well as lower physical fitness.”

Boys watched TV slightly more often than girls, and metabolic syndrome was more common in men than in women (34% and 20%, respectively). However, the association between childhood television time and adult metabolic syndrome has been observed in both sexes and may be even stronger in women.

There was little evidence that less TV viewing as an adult reduces the association between childhood TV viewing and adult health.

“While, as with any observational study, researchers cannot prove that the association between early TV viewing directly causes metabolic syndrome in adults, there are several likely mechanisms by which longer TV viewing time may lead to poor long-term health.

“Watching TV uses little energy and can crowd out physical activity and worsen the quality of sleep,” he says.

“Screen time can also contribute to increased energy intake as children consume more sugar-sweetened beverages and high-fat diet foods with fewer fruits and vegetables. These habits can persist into adulthood.”