Your favorite television shows can make you laugh, cry, or even scream.
And if you watch them often enough, they can also kill: In an American Journal of Preventive Medicine study, people who watched three to four hours of it a day were 15 per cent more likely to die over the 14-year study period than those who watched little to none.
There’s no need to deliberate: inactivity for long periods isn’t healthy. Check out the evidence in the chart below.
CAUSE OF DEATH % RISE IN RISK PER 2 HOURS OF TV A DAY
- Diabetes – 56 %
- Suicide – 43%
- Parkinson’s disease – 35%
- Liver disease – 33%
- COPD – 28%
- Influenza/pneumonia – 24%
- Heart disease – 23%
- Cancer – 7%
(We’re not sure what’s behind the suicide connection, but it almost certainly has something to do with Keeping Up With the Kardashians.)
The service here is simple: cut down on your amount of screen time and get moving. Your body will not only look better for it, but you’ll feel better, too. Research has shown that short bouts of physical activity can boost happiness and excitement—just like your favourite TV show.