Too Much TV Raises Risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease and Death

Analysis found two hours a day increased chances of health problems by up to 20%

Couch potatoes beware: All those hours in front of the TV may be making you sick, or even killing you.  Watching television for two to three hours or more per day is linked to significantly higher risks of developing diabetes and heart disease and dying from all causes, according to a new analysis from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Noting that Americans watch an average of about five hours of TV per day -- the most common daily activity aside from working and sleeping -- researchers analyzed data from eight studies done between 1970 and 2011 on the association between TV viewing and incidence of type 2 diabetes, fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.  Two hours of daily television watching was tied to a 20 percent greater risk for diabetes, a 15 percent higher chance of cardiovascular disease and a 13 percent elevated risk for all-cause deaths.

"The results really are not surprising at all. We already know that people who watch a lot of TV are more likely to eat an unhealthy diet and be obese," said senior study author Dr. Frank B. Hu. "The message is actually quite simple . . . those who watch a lot of TV should cut back on TV watching and do more of something else."  Americans watch an average of more than 4.5 hours of television per day.

Prior research has established the negative health effects of TV viewing, including associations with less physical activity and unhealthy eating, such as higher consumption of fried foods, processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages and lower intake of fruits and vegetables.

Based on disease incidence in the United States, Hu and his colleagues estimated that each two-hour increment of TV watching each day was linked to an absolute risk of 176 new cases of type 2 diabetes, 38 new cases of fatal cardiovascular disease, and 104 new cases of all-cause mortality among 100,000 people per year.  Hu noted that the particularly marked influence that TV has on diabetes risk is due largely to T.V. time’s link to obesity, one of the biggest contributors to diabetes.  Hu also added that physical activity can help to dampen the negative effects of TV watching though sedentary time is a risk factor even for those who are active, saying, "Certainly any physical activity would be beneficial regardless of the amount of TV you watch.  But the reality is that people spend almost five hours a day watching TV. How much exercise do they do? There is a huge imbalance."