Early settlers turned the prairie into cropland, and used its sod to build homes

Satellite TV, VCRs, Nintendo, Playstation - kids today have a dizzying array of options when it comes to in-home entertainment. But studies are finding that these devices could also be leading children to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle - one which could stick for the rest of their lives.

In "Couch Potato Kids," Len Epstein and his team track the movements of a group of kids over a nine-week period. The kids work with their mothers to record the time spent on day-to-day activities, including watching television and playing outside, and they list what they eat. The researchers also outfit the kids with monitors that measure activity levels. Once a baseline is reached, the kids are asked to dramatically increase their amount of television viewing, by 50%. Three weeks later, they must then do the opposite - cut their TV-watching by 50%.

Broadleaf plants add to the prairie's overall biodiversity by producing flowers and seeds

At the end of the study, Epstein found that kids who sit more, eat more. Time spent in front of the television was often also spent snacking, but when TV watching was dramatically curtailed, outdoor activities naturally increased. It's a lesson that could be a lifesaver, for parents and their children.

For more on this topic, see the web feature:
Compute your BMI