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Switch off the TV

Physically active teens are less likely to take to drugs and alcohol

If you thought your kid was safer sitting at home watching TV rather than out in the street on a skateboard, then think again, for a new study has found that teens who participate in physical activities, particularly with their parents, are at decreased risk for drinking, drugs, violence, smoking, sex and delinquency, compared to teens who watch a lot of TV.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Melissa C. Nelson from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Penny Gordon-Larsen said the study had found that teenagers who spend an increased amount of time in front of the TV were more likely to engage in `risky' behaviour.

"Adolescents who spend a lot of time watching TV or playing computer video games tend to be at higher risk for engaging in all of these risky behaviours....

This research suggests that engaging in a variety of activities may also have social, emotional and cognitive benefits, including reduced likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours such as drinking, drugs, violence, smoking, sex and delinquency," she said.

"We found that adolescents who skateboard were less likely to engage in risky behaviours compared to teens who watch a lot of TV," she added.

Dr. Nelson said the research had lent support to the idea that physical activities such as playing football are good for teens, for it exposes them to more opportunities for team-building, engaging in more social interactions with others, or seeing the benefits of hard work and practice.

The study was published in journal Pediatrics. — (ANI)

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