title: Television viewing and abdominal obesity in young adults: is the association mediated by food and beverage consumption during viewing time or reduced leisure-time physical activity?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The behavioral pathways through which television (TV) viewing leads to increased adiposity in adults are unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We wanted to determine whether the association between TV viewing and abdominal obesity in young adults is mediated by food and beverage consumption during TV viewing time or by a reduction in overall leisure-time physical activity (LTPA).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved a cross-sectional analysis of data from 2001 Australian adults aged 26-36 y. Waist circumference (WC) was measured at study clinics, and TV viewing time, frequency of food and beverage consumption during TV viewing, LTPA, and demographic characteristics were self-reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women watching TV > 3 h/d had a higher prevalence of severe abdominal obesity (WC: > or = 88 cm) compared with women watching < or = 1 h/d [prevalence ratio (PR): 1.89; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.71]. Moderate abdominal obesity (WC: 94-101.9 cm) was more prevalent in men watching TV > 3 h/d than in men watching < or = 1 h/d (PR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.37, 3.41). Adjustment for LTPA made little difference, but adjustment for food and beverage consumption during TV viewing attenuated the associations (PR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.17 for women; PR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.83 for men).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between TV viewing and WC in young adults may be partially explained by food and beverage consumption during TV viewing but was not explained by a reduction in overall LTPA. Other behaviors likely contribute to the association between TV viewing and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Research Institute, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. verity.cleland@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Verity J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Cleland
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Terence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Venn
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004326:Drinking; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D013690:Television; D013997:Time Factors; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio