Are Your TV Habits Harming Your Health?

If you are planning to spend your weekend on the couch, you may want to reconsider. A recent report published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that watching too much TV may be linked to a higher risk of early death.

“Watching television is a passive, sedentary activity, and certainly people who do it for hours are not paying attention in terms of their lifestyle and in terms of their diet,” said American Heart Association cardiologist Nisa Goldberg.

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In the study, researchers analyzed more than 13,000 Spanish adults by tracking each individual for a period of 8 years. All the participants were not only healthy, but college graduates. By closely monitoring sedentary behavior, researchers were able to find an association between the 97 deaths (19 from cardiovascular causes, 46 from cancer and 32 from other) during the project and too much television viewing.

While most of the participants only watched about 1.6 hours of television a day, NBC News reports, “for every two extra hours of watching TV over and above one hour a day, the volunteers were 44 percent more likely to die from heart disease or stroke, 21 percent more likely to die of cancer and 55 percent more likely to die from something else, and that’s taking in account their age, sex, whether they smoked, whether they were obese and whether they ate a healthy, Mediterranean diet.”
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Doctors and health professionals urge the public to take sedentary activities, such as watching too much television, very seriously as it could be the difference between living a longer life. In 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Americans watch 2.8 hours of television a day – a high statistic considering the recommended maximum is 2 hours per day.
Additionally, you can avoid a sedentary lifestyle and improve your overall health by implementing these active habits into your daily routine:
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1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. Bike or walk to work when you can.
3. Watch your favorite shows while on the treadmill or stationary bike. You can even do simple chores such as folding laundry while watching TV. This keeps you from mindless eating and increases body movement.

But most importantly, spend time outside! Colorado offers numerous outdoor activities for everyone. Enjoy an active summer in Fort Collins and spend less time in front of the TV!