WHO recommends that children not be exposed to screens for two years

The recommendations, addressed to legislators and health and education professionals, apply to any child in good health, regardless of their place of residence or socio-economic status. To do it, The agency was based on more than 270 medical articles and 10 studies conducted in five countries with more than 7,500 participants.

According to the document, the WHO do not recommend that children under two years be exposed to screens, whether watching TV or playing with a cell phone, tablet or computer. Y between two and five years, it limits the time of use to a daily time and "if it is less, better".

In this regard, Mariano Novo, clinical psychologist specializing in the family, consulted by POPULAR, advises parents delay "more they can" in contact with the boys with the screens.

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For her part, Santiago Mariani, a child psychologist, warns that "excess screens produce continuous stimulation of immediate gratification centers in the brain.Therefore, many children wait in low tolerance". This can influence boys' problem solving "when consumption is excessive and becomes of limited interest, where everything revolves around video games".

In one In the context of growing sedentary lifestyles and dependence on electronic media, about 40 million children under the age of five in the world are overweight. In the last 40 years, obesity has increased 10-fold in children and youth aged 5 to 19.

"The sedentary behavior, it is becoming increasingly common to use motorized means of transportation instead of walking or cycling, sitting at the school table, watching TV or playing with screens they are badociated with poor health ", describes the guide.

"Sleep also affects physical well-being and sleep a few hours is related to overweight and obesity in children and adolescents and mental problems in adolescents," he said. Mariani advises in this regard "to limit the hours of use of the screens and to avoid the night use because it makes difficult the reconciliation of the dream".

"What we really need to do, is that kids play again," says Dr. Juana Willumsen, head of Children's Obesity and Physical Activity for Children at Children's Hospital. # 39; WHO.

Sedentary and obese

Lack of physical activity is a risk factor that contributes to overweight. Early childhood is a period of "rapid physical and cognitive development", during which habits and routines are acquired, and the WHO recommends that even children under one year of age have the opportunity to to exercise.

"Improve physical activity, reduce sedentary time and ensure quality sleep for the child, improve physical and mental health, as well as their overall well-being, prevent obesity and other diseases later in life, "explained one of the guide's facilitators, Fiona Bull.

In addition, available studies claim that The benefits of spending less time watching television or playing video games include "reduced fat (fat), better motor and cognitive development, and psychosocial health".

Argentina has the highest percentage of obesity among children under five in Latin America, with a prevalence of 7.3%, according to the WHO Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Still in our country, according to the Center for Studies in Child Nutrition (CESNI), 1 in 3 school-aged children are overweight or obese.

In this aspect, the graduate in nutrition Agustina Murcho, told POPULAR that "the cause of obesity is not just economic". He added: "The reality is that in Argentina, you do not know how to eat. There is no food education and there is a high percentage of stress, which causes a poor diet. It takes physical activity. If a person knows how to eat, what should be taught to children, you can look around and find out what foods to replace in a crisis. "

"Quality" time

WHO recommends not only that the boy should exercise, but also He distinguishes between the time he spends alone in front of a screen and the one who spends a quiet activity accompanied by an adult. At that time, they call him "Quality time", and recommend using it for tell stories, make puzzles or sing.

"Sedentary time should become a quality time.Reading a book with your child, for example, can help him develop his language skills. A child who receives a tablet to sit still in the stroller does not receive the same"Willumsen said.

"While it is true that screens are often an "easy" way out for entertainment, it's a double-edged sword, because the older the boy is, the more dependency that results"Novo explained to this media.