The killer tube
|
|
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
If you watch a lot of TV, you literally might not be able to run from the effects that the couch time could have on how long you live. At the National Cancer Institute, Charles Matthews saw it in data on close to 241,000 people ages 50 to 71, who were followed for eight and one half years.
Those who watched more TV - say, three hours or more a day - were more likely to die sooner. And Matthews says that, while physical activity is good, it could not offset the effects of the couch-sitting:
``Individuals who exercise at quite high levels, but also watched a lot of television remained at increased risk of early death, even though they exercised quite a bit.'' (8 seconds)
The study was presented at a meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Learn more at hhs.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.