The study found that anyone who averaged six hours of TV watching per day, lived, on average, 5 years less than a person who did not watch any TV.
After the age of 25, every 30 minutes spent watching TV decreased lifespan by 22 minutes.
Of course, the TV watching is the indirect reason for the decreased lifespan. Explains Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine:
As a rule, the more time we spend watching TV, the more time we spend eating mindlessly in front of the TV, and the less time we spend being physically active. More eating and less physical activity, in turn, mean greater risk for obesity, and the chronic diseases it tends to anticipate, notably diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Potentially, those that watch excessive TV are lonely, or isolated, or depressed, and these conditions, in turn, may be the real causes of premature mortality.
The study used data on 11,000 people aged 25 or older.
Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Aug 2011 14:05
