According to a new American Heart Association scientific statement, social networking sites could help children overcome obesity problems.
"Online communication and social media are an increasing part of our lives and our overall social network of family, friends and peers," said Jennifer S. Li, M.D., M.H.S., chair of the writing group. "Healthcare providers should embrace its potential as a tool for promoting healthy behavioral change."
The study was conducted after collecting data about Internet-based interventions to lose weight, increase physical activity and improve eating habits.
"The studies we looked at suggest that more parental involvement and more interaction with counselors and peers was associated with greater success rates for overweight children and teens who participated in an online intervention," said Li, division chief of pediatric cardiology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
Factors like back and forth communication and frequency with which a child logged on to these sites along with consultation from their counselors influenced the results of this study. It was found that obese children prefer spending their leisure time with children who are obese too.
"Athletes tend to hang out with athletes, and overweight kids hang out together so they reinforce each other's eating habits or preferences for recreational activities," Li said.
According to Li, since more than 95 percent of today's children have access to the Internet either at home or in their schools, social media should be explored to address the issue of weight problems.
"Some research shows that even in virtual social networks, people tend to associate with others like themselves," Li said. "So if you develop a network of kids who are overweight, you can have an impact on all of them -- in the real world and online -- because if one starts making healthy changes, the others will be influenced to do so as well."
However Li also cautions adults that they need to be careful that their children do not become victims of cyber bullying, privacy issues, sexting and Internet addiction that can cause sleep deprivation.
"Doctors need to understand digital technology better so that they can offer guidance to patients and their families on avoiding such issues, and will be aware of any such problems that occur," Li said.
Li also states that more research needs to be done to get a more accurate result and see if any other factors also influence this finding.
"Teenagers are texting and using Facebook and other social media as their primary communication with their peers, and we need to find out what factors can be incorporated into social media that will increase the effectiveness of these interventions to initiate and maintain weight loss in kids and adolescents," Li said.
