Rutgers Study Asks: Do Mosquitoes Cause Childhood Obesity?

A new Rutgers University study suggests a correlation between mosquitoes and childhood obesity, nj.com and The Asbury Park Press report.

The study was conducted by three Rutgers professors and studied the impact of the presence of Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus on children playing outside in two Monmouth County towns, according to nj.com.

The study was conducted in 2009 and 2011 in Cliffwood Beach and Union Beach, according to the report.

First, the impact on adults was studied, with adults reporting they spent an extra 2.9 hours inside due to the presence of mosquitoes, according to the report.

Children ages 8-12 then reported spending 63 percent less time outside due to the presence of the mosquitoes, according to the report. The study claims this can lead to passiveness and childhood obesity.

Asian Tiger mosquitoes first appeared in New Jersey in 1985, according to The Asbury Park Press. They aren’t known to be carriers of dangerous disease in North America, but have been known to cause serious illness in other parts of the world, according to APP.