IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK . . . GET THE KIDS TO LOOK AWAY FROM THE SCREENS

Kids tend to like screens – whether it’s watching the TV, playing on a computer or console, or having a go at the games on a parent’s phone.

But with the stretch in the evenings, there are few excuses to be stuck in front of a screen, and plenty of good reasons to get active.

Research in Australia has linked extended time spent in front of the TV with a narrowing of blood vessels behind the eye. The study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, examined physical activity, sedentary behaviours and the structure of retinal blood vessels in almost 1,500 six year olds.

The researchers concluded: “These data suggest that physical activity could have a beneficial influence, whereas screen time has a potential adverse influence on retinal microvascular structure.