Live Longer – Turn Off That TV!

 Quick question; if pushing just one button could add years to your life, would you do it? If you're interested, a new Australian study recommends the one on your remote that turns the TV off. The study, published in this week's issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine [you do subscribe, don't you?], notes that, after age 25, each hour spent watching TV takes 22 minutes off your life! (I'm not sure, but if my math is right, I should have died towards the end of Bill Clinton's second term in office...)

The study was done by the University of Queensland, and was part of a decade-long project looking into diabetes, obesity, and lifestyle choices. It backs up observations from a Harvard study released earlier this year.

Why does too much TV shorten your life?  No one is exactly sure [radiation from the TV screen?], but it's safe to assume that time spent watching television is frequently time spent eating mindlessly. Poor eating habits can lead to obesity, and the great number of diseases that being overweight can negatively impact [heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are just three]. TV watching also cuts back on the amount of exercise that the viewer gets.

Dr. Leenert Veerman, who wrote the study, says that watching television is as unhealthy a lifestyle choice as being obese or smoking. He notes that, while smoking rates are going down TV viewing rates are not, a fact that he believes has "implications at a population level".

Of course, just reducing TV viewing isn't enough. To remain healthy, proper eating habits and regular exercise are also necessary. But cutting back on TV time may be a major health aid. Who knew that lousy TV shows could be healthy for you?