Earlier Death For TV Watchers

A new study shows that each hour spent watching television elevates the risk of early death by up to 18%. Healthy people who exercise are also not exempt from this risk. There is also a 9% increased risk for cancer and 11% increased risk of death from all causes. However, the exact cause of death is not television, but long periods of sitting and doing nothing. The human body was designed to move, not to sit for long periods of time. Many people nowadays move from chair to chair—office to car to television.

The six and a half year study consisted of 8,800 men and women over 25. This group had their glucose tolerance, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels measured. They were separated into three groups: those who watched fewer than 2 hours of TV a day, 2-4 hrs, and 4+ hours. Compared with people who watched less than 2 hours of TV daily, those who watched 4+ hours a day had a 46% higher risk of death from all causes and 80% increased risk for CVD-related death.

Americans watch an average of eight hours a day. Poor diets in addition to the great amount of time in front of the television is the main cause for high blood sugar and fats. The amount of calories burnt while sitting still is around the same as those burnt during sleep.

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