Young black girls have a higher risk of becoming obese because they watch too much television and have too few recreational opportunities, according to a study reported in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

The study blames both environmental factors and the adults who care for them.

Lead researcher Penny Gordon-Larsen, of the University of North Carolina, and her colleagues conducted 51 in-depth interviews with black girls age 6 to 9 and their mothers or grandmothers in North Carolina.

The researchers found that traffic dangers and lack of affordable and accessible neighborhood recreation opportunities kept black girls in the study inside and in front of the TV set. She added that the girls’ mothers or grandmothers did not object to the girls watching many hours of television.

Gordon-Larsen said the adults were often unaware of how much TV their daughters watched. One said her daughter saw only two to three hours of TV on a weekend, while her daughter confessed to having the set on for most of the day.

The adults cared more about the type of television programs the girls watched, rather than the length of time they logged in front of the screen. Many saw television as an electronic babysitter, pacifying the children while the adults took care of other chores around the house.

"They are limited in what they can watch," said one mother of her children, "but we don't limit how much they can watch."

This sedentary behavior can have long-term health effects, Gordon-Larsen said. "Inactive children are likely to remain inactive throughout childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, and are at high risk for obesity," she added.

Neither the girls nor the adults showed much interest in going outdoors to play. Either television was too attractive, or they believed their neighborhoods lacked recreational activities or were unsafe for play.

The mothers complained about traffic, unrestrained dogs, poor facilities, a lack of sidewalks and an unwillingness to let children play outside unsupervised.

The adults understood the health benefits of physical activity but lacked the motivation to take part themselves, inevitably setting a poor example for their daughters, Gordon-Larsen says.

To reduce inactivity and risk for obesity among such girls, Gordon-Larsen suggests increasing affordable and accessible opportunities for physical activity (including improving traffic safety), motivating caregivers and children to exercise more and countering positive perceptions of the role of television.

Other sources:Center for the Advancement of Health