Infiltrator Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 WATCHING TV for six hours a day could shave five years off your life. New Australian-based research has found growing roots on the couch could do as much damage as smoking and lack of exercise, the Courier-Mail reported. Experts have previously linked sedentary behaviour with a higher risk of death from heart attack or stroke. The latest research published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine is the first, however, to study the impact of watching too much TV on life expectancy. Experts used previously published data on the link between TV viewing time and death from analysis of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. This was combined with Australian national population and mortality figures for 2008, to construct a "lifetime risk framework". Three years ago, Australians aged over 25 watched an estimated 9.8 billion hours of TV. Researchers calculated every hour of watching shortened the viewer's life expectancy by about 22 minutes. Based on these figures and expected deaths from all causes, the authors calculated an individual who watched an average six hours of TV a day over the course of their life, could expect to die five years earlier than someone who watched no TV. Separate research has shown lifelong smoking can shorten life expectancy by four years for those aged over 50. Using the same risk framework designed to monitor the impact of too much TV, the study calculated just one cigarette could cut 11 minutes from smokers lives - equal to watching 30 minutes of TV. "These findings suggest that substantial loss of life may be associated with prolonged TV viewing time among Australian adults," the reports authors found. "Because TV viewing is a ubiquitous behaviour that occupies significant portions of adults leisure time, it's effects are significant for overall population health." VicHealth acting executive manager Irene Venins said the latest research came as no surprise. She said the negative impacts of prolonged periods sitting at a desk at work were well documented and the would be no different at home. "The proliferation of computers around the office have contributed to prolonged sitting , which in turn is a key contributor to chronic heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis." Ms Venins said Australians should engage in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity a day, or face the consequences down the track. "It's time to stand up for our health," she said. Web source: http://www.news.com.au/technology/too-much-tv-has-same-health-effects-as-smoking-and-lack-of-exercise-australian-research-finds/story-e6frfrnr-1226115622419 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 Now I wonder, the same about computers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morfir Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Looks like I am dying young then, but it was worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foo Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I still call bullshit. There are bigger worries in this world than this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperant Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 So if you smoke, dont exercise and watch a shitload of tv you are pretty much doomed, just dont smoke and watch tv at the same time you might live longer :| Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebuchadnezzar Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I don't know, I have always thought television was evil, brain rotting stuff. Didn't know it might shorten your life though lol! I grew up without it (well most of childhood anyway). Of course, back then I thought I was cruelly deprived when I went to school and the kids were all talking about the great shows I missed, etc. Now I thank all the gods I didn't have it, because it made me read more books instead. More sedentary behavior lol--except the mind is working... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted August 27, 2011 Author Share Posted August 27, 2011 I don't know, I have always thought television was evil, brain rotting stuff. Didn't know it might shorten your life though lol! I grew up without it (well most of childhood anyway). Of course, back then I thought I was cruelly deprived when I went to school and the kids were all talking about the great shows I missed, etc. Now I thank all the gods I didn't have it, because it made me read more books instead. More sedentary behavior lol--except the mind is working... To an extend watching TV makes you more dumber than reading books, and I have to agree on that one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jekyll Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I don't watch much TV other than a brief glance at the news. But i do spend much more than 6 hours at my computers, Infiltrator raised a very good question, does computer use produce the same effect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitwon Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Let's be clear here... it has nothing to do with watching TV, it's just the lack of exercise. The same would be true of any other sedentary activity (including using a computer, or reading a book, or playing video games). Just get out more and do something active. Take a 30 minute walk every day. Or go camping on the weekends to practice your survivalist skills. After all, you gotta prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse. (Rule #1: Cardio) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParMan Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 i would only agree with you on this if all you do is watch tv shit on your butt and never do anything productive. (99% of america) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User Error Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 (edited) Theirs just too many variables that were not taken into consideration, but from the sounds of things they just recorded the stats of mindlessly watching TV. So basically the typical lazy fat american who does nothing while watching TV, accepts everything he see's on the TV, and has issues thinking for themselves. so what about those of us that mainly use the TV as background noise, and have to problem minimizing/pausing the show their watching to learn more about a topic they heard on the show? I actually learned a lot about mythology and other topics b/c of this So if you smoke, dont exercise and watch a shitload of tv you are pretty much doomed, just dont smoke and watch tv at the same time you might live longer :| So what if i'm smoking a cigar outside of my apartment while watching TV and playing with my cat (yes all at the same time)? P.S. I learned form the navy recruiters, my dad (medical professionalist who is now retired from the navy and now working in the private sector), and from biology that most stuff you see in movies and/or tv is either already being developed or currently being researched (in other words not original b/c someone else has thought it up already). I.E in GITS SAC, their is an episode were they go to an organ farm in which they copy some of your genetic code and insert it into pigs to grow organs for the individuals that donated their DNA (the first episode with the jameson robot). Guess what they have done now outside of toronto in canada. the first group of piglets that have human genes in them so that their organs produce the same protein structures as human organs so that human bodies wont reject them. please note that this episode came out during the human genome project. I would like to know if anyone has heard about any research that involves putting ones ghost in a shell. Edited September 4, 2011 by User Error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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