Watching more than 2 hours a day of television may significantly increase a child’s risk for developing hypertension, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The study included 546 participants, between 4 and 17 years old, who visited obesity clinics in California where information was collected about the amount of time they spent watching TV and their BMI and blood pressure were also recorded.

The results indicated a strong correlation between hours of TV watched and incidence of obesity and/or high blood pressure. When compared to children who watched less than two hours of TV per day, those who watched between 2 and 4 were 2.5 times more likely to develop hypertension, and those who watched more than 4 hours per day of TV were 3.3 times more likely to become hypertensive.

While the study did have its limitations, it does reinforce the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that children should watch no more than 2 hours of TV per day.

For more information see “Too Much TV Can Raise Kids’ Blood Pressure” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, news release, Oct. 30, 2007. Can be found online at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/Story?id=4509214&page=1