AusSMC (Adelaide): Is sitting in front of the TV shortening your life? Australian researchers have tracked the TV viewing habits of 8,800 adults and found that every hour spent in front of the television each day increased the risk of death from all causes.
While the study focused specifically on television watching, the findings suggest that any prolonged sedentary behavior, such as sitting at a desk or in front of a computer, may pose a risk to one’s health.
The paper ‘Television Viewing Time and Mortality’ has been published in the journal Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Listen to a recording of an AusSMC briefing with the paper’s lead author, Professor David Dunstan, Head of the Physical Activity Laboratory in the Division of Metabolism and Obesity at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.
Local news coverage:
The Press: Hours in front of TV risk health
TVNZ: Too much TV may cut life short
Dominion Post: Step away from the TV or risk an early death