July 25, 2019—Sitting and watching TV for hours may be more dangerous to your health than sitting on the job.
That's according to a study that looked at the habits of a group of African Americans in a large, long-term research project. The researchers suggest the findings would likely apply to other people too.
In the study, nearly 3,600 adults recorded the time they spent watching TV, sitting at a desk and exercising. They were followed for a little more than eight years.
Those who watched more than four hours of TV every day were at 50 percent greater risk of heart disease and premature death than those who watched less than two hours.
Yet, people who sat the most at work had no increased risks over those who sat the least.
Exercise made a big difference for the most dedicated TV watchers. If they watched 4 hours of TV but also exercised at least 150 minutes per week, the exercise erased their increased health risk.
Why would sitting in front of the TV be more of a health risk than sitting at work? The researchers had several theories:
- People may be watching TV for hours without moving. On the other hand, desk workers tend get up throughout the day—to walk to a meeting, the printer or another destination.
- People tend to watch the most TV in the evening after dinner. The combination of a large meal and sitting for hours could be particularly harmful.
- People often snack on unhealthy foods while watching TV.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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