When it comes to sparking childhood obesity, not all screens are created equal. According to a new study published in Pediatrics, children who were apt to watch a lot of television were far more likely to be heavier than those more wrapped up with playing videogames or spending time in front of a computer. In the study, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital monitored the activity of 91 youth ages 13 to 15—checking in with them regularly via (ironically) smartphone. They would ask the teens what they were doing; if they were multitasking, they asked which task they were more engrossed in. Researchers found that the teens who spent three hours a day watching television were far heavier on average than their peers: 14-year-old boys who watched a lot of TV were 14.2 pounds heavier; teens who spent a lot of time in front of computers or playing videogames were no heavier than their more active peers. According to researchers, the reason for TV-lovers being heavier is twofold: For one, viewers are exposed to a lot more food-related advertising. Two, watching television leaves fingers more free to grab a snack and munch away. When you play videogames or toy around on computers, your fingers are already occupied. (Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.