Being glued to a smartphone is just as bad as TV for making kids fat, research suggests

SMARTPHONES are as bad as telly for making kids fat, research shows.

Teenagers glued to apps, videos and games on their devices for more than five hours a day upped the risk by 43 per cent.

The same children are also twice as likely to be sleep deprived, consume too many sugary drinks and not do enough exercise.

One in five 14 to 18-year-olds uses handheld phones and tablets for at least five hours a day, US researchers found.

Just eight per cent watch TV for that amount of time.

Until now, experts have looked only at the impact of TV screen time on kids’ wellbeing.

Study leader Erica Kenney, of Harvard University, said: “This study suggests limiting engagement with other screen devices may be as important for health as limiting television time.”

Research on British kids by Ofcom found kids aged five to 15 are on online devices 15 hours a week, more than TV.

One in three children leave ­primary school too fat and ­figures show obese children are five times more likely to grow into obese adults.

Tam Fry, of the National ­Obesity Forum, said handhelds should be “off limits” before breakfast and after dinner.

He added: “Tablets are nothing but personal TVs.

“Daytime use should be reasonable but sparing. And from bedtime to breakfast they should be off limits.

“Parents need to come heavy. Tears and tantrums in the short term may be but essential for their kids long term health.”