Too much time parked in front of the television or computer screen is driving the epidemic of childhood obesity in the U.S., according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

And it’s not just that many teens are couch potatoes, the academy argues in the July issue of Pediatrics: TV advertising drives sales of junk food, children and teens tend to snack while watching TV or online, and late-night use may interfere with sleep.

“We’ve created a perfect storm” of conditions that predispose young people to obesity, said lead author Victor Strasburger, MD, of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M.

“We couldn’t do a worse job as a society if we tried,” he told MedPage Today.

Medical News: Screen Time Driving Youth Obesity Epidemic – in Pediatrics, Obesity from MedPage Today