Remember all those times watching television when mom or dad comes into the room and tells you to turn the television off? Well, a new study will now give them even more of a reason to get us Netflix bingers and Internet surfers to get out the door and not be so sedentary.
The Telegraph reported a new study involving over 13,000 people found people who watch television for more than three hours a day are at risk of dying young.
The study’s researchers spent about eight years following individuals and found that those who spent more time watching television were most likely to die at a young age. Many of the deaths were due to cancer and heart problems. Despite being active in other areas such as academics, being glued to the television still increased the likelihood of dying early.
The individuals in the study were assessed in three sedentary behaviors including how often they watched television, how often they used the computer, and their driving time.
However, Forbes reported there didn’t appear to be an association between driving or using the computer.
A statement from the study’s author, Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez said, “Television viewing is a major sedentary behavior and there is an increasing trend toward all types of sedentary behaviors. Our findings are consistent with a range of previous studies where time spent watching television was linked to mortality.”
The study reported 97 deaths and even with other factors taken into account to contribute toward the deaths, it was still consistent that those who spent more hours watching television died young.
The best advice given is to do more physical activity and to limit sedentary behaviors, and experts have advised individuals to make sure they stand up as much as they can throughout the day.