British doctors have recently ruled on the effects of watching television. Television addiction, which is separated from factors like smoking and high blood pressure, can spell dire health consequences.
How much time, on average, do you spend watching television each day? According to British doctors, watching more than 2 hours of television a day dangerously increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death.
Spending at least two hours a day watching television is harmful to the health of our heart. In fact, spending 120 minutes a day in front of the TV significantly increases the risk of premature cardiovascular disease.
And this is doubled for TV “addicts” who spend more than 4 hours a day in front of the screen. This is an aggravating factor and separate from the traditional risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure.
The authors of this report explain this increased risk by pointing the finger at certain metabolic and inflammatory factors. They have observed that the time spend in front of the television appears to have a negative effect on several cardiovascular markers.
So people who watch a lot of television need to rethink their behaviour. A large percentage of the population already spends several hours a day at work in front of a computer. In the evening, it is very often almost a reflex to switch on the television and settle down on the sofa to watch. It’s easy and it’s comfortable … but not for our heart.
And there’s nothing new about the solution the researchers suggest: “It is essential to replace this sedentary time, or at least part of it, with physical activity”.
These recommendations also apply to children and adolescents. In fact, health professionals regularly express concern about the impact of television and computer games on sleep quality.
