A new study claims humans are naturally wired to be couch potatoes. Canadian researchers say laziness is a leftover trait from our cavemen ancestors who needed to conserve their energy between hunting trips.
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Who doesn’t love a good television show binge every now and again? From “Breaking Bad” to “The Walking Dead”, it’s not difficult to sit comfortably on the couch with a remote and movie snacks for hours at a time, getting caught up on all the seasons (or watching them again). But, scientists warn that those who are prone to go on long TV binges should be more than weary because those binges have been linked to eight different types of death.
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According to a recent study published by the National Cancer Institute in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, TV bingers run an increased risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, influenza/pneumonia, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, and suicide.
Tech Insider reports Nov. 1 that across 80 percent of the country, Americans watch an average of 3.5 hours of television each day. That’s a considerable chunk of time spent vegging out in front of a flashing screen, and that time spent significantly increases chances for the eight leading causes of death listed above. Add to that a general sedentary lifestyle where sedentary work has increased 83 percent since 1950. People are moving less and getting more and more unhealthy as a result.
It’s not surprising that hours of television watching is bad for health. But, according to the Preventative Medicine study, which surveyed 567,169 U.S. people between the ages of 50 and 71 over the course of 16 years, those who watched seven or more hours of TV a day were 47 percent more likely to die from one of the eight leading causes of death. Those who watched 3-4 hours a day were 15 percent more likely to die from the above mentioned causes in comparison with those who only watched TV less than an hour each day.
Dr. Sarah K. Keadle, leader of the Cancer Institute study, notes that "In this context, our results fit within a growing body of research indicating that too much sitting can have many different adverse health effects."
92 percent of Americans own televisions and TV watching takes up more than half of their leisure time. Physical activities are often tossed to the wayside, as a result. Don’t think that active people are exempt. According to the study, people who do have a workout regimen were also found to be affected by long spans of time in front of the tube. With these things in mind, it’s important to prioritize exercise. Don’t just sit for hours on end getting caught up on “Sherlock” or “Game of Thrones. Stretch. Take a brisk walk. Do something that moves your body closer to health and away from sickness.
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