Influence of eating while watching TV on food preference and overweight/obesity among adolescents in China: a longitudinal study

BackgroundEating while watching TV was found associated with unhealthy food preferences and obesity in adolescents in foreign studies, which is not clear in China. The study aims to explore the influence of eating while watching TV on food preferences and overweight/obesity in Chinese adolescents.MethodsData from 1768 adolescents (aged 12–17 years) in the 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) was analyzed. The height and weight were measured. Mixed effect models were used to identify the associations between eating while watching TV and adolescents’ food preferences and overweight/obesity.ResultsAdolescents eating while watching TV ≥1 time/week were more likely to prefer fast food, salty snacks and soft drinks than those eating while watching TV