Children who watch television for two or more hours each day are twice as likely to suffer from asthma, it has been revealed.

In a recent study of 3,000 children published in the journal Thorax, it emerged that by the age of 11, six per cent had asthma.

Of those with asthma, 44 per cent watch TV for over two hours every day, compared to 20 per cent who watch for under an hour.

Report co-author Dr James Paton, of the University of Glasgow, told the BBC that the main problem lies in inactivity.

"There may be a window in early in life when activity does something to protect the lungs.

"It may be that not sitting still makes you take deep breaths and that might be important in the long run," he explained.

According to the Asthma Society of Ireland, there are an estimated 470,000 people with the condition in the country.

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