healthbriefs


Heavy TV Watching Linked to Poor Bone Health A


study published in the Journal for Bone and Mineral Research this summer suggests that


excessive TV watching during childhood may be associated with lower bone mineral content in young adulthood. The researchers followed 1,181 children


over time and measured their weekly hours of TV watching at ages 5, 8, 10, 14, 17 and 20. The bone mineral content (BMC) of each was mea- sured at age 20. The study found that individu- als that routinely watched more than 14 hours a week had lower BMC for their whole body and in their arms than those that watched less. Higher


BMC helps protect the body against osteoporosis later in life. While all screen time should be monitored in children, TV appears to be the most harmful medium. A report published in the Archives of Pediatric and Ado- lescent Medicine studied 111 children between the ages of 3 and 8 and measured their TV viewing and other screen time, as well as their blood pressure levels. The study linked higher blood pressure with excessive TV viewing, but did not find the same link between the condition and computer usage.


Silence De-Stresses the Brain T


he human brain does not function optimally in society’s noise-filled environment. The brain, like the body,


needs rest to function, and that comes with silence. A recent study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience discovered that the brain is able to integrate both internal and external information into a “conscious workspace” when resting. Constant distractions and noises can detract from the brain’s ability to process critical information. Noise also elevates stress


hormone levels within the brain. Research published earlier in Psy- chological Science examined the effects that the relocation of the main Munich airport, in Germany, had on children’s health and cognition. Gary W. Evans, researcher and professor of human ecology at Cornell Uni- versity, notes that when exposed to constant noise, children develop a stress response that causes them to ignore it. The study’s subjects tuned out both harmful sounds and stimuli that they should be paying attention to, including speech. Silence has the opposite effect, releasing tension in brain and body. Exposure to chronic noise can also


hinder children’s cognitive develop- ment, according to a study from the World Health Organization and the European Commission Joint Research Centre; this includes language skills and reading ability. To help counter modern noise pollution, attention restoration theory suggests that individuals placed in en- vironments with lower levels of sensory input can recover some of the cognitive abilities they have lost.


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