Is TV Killing Us?

 

            Recent Australian research suggests it is.  Researchers found that each hour a day spent watching TV was linked with an 18% greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, an 11% greater risk of all causes of death, and a 9% increased risk of death from cancer.

           

            Why?  The primary risk is the sedentary nature of TV viewing.  The lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for poor health.

            Should Americans worry?  Yes.  Americans spend 28 hours a week watching TV according to one report…or more than 4 hours a day.  The Nielsen Company released a report in 2009 stating that American TV viewing was at an all-time high, and is boosted even higher by the fact that the average American watches 3 hours of Internet video a month.   TV viewing increases with age, when other factors also contribute to more sedentary life styles.

            Our digital addictions are dangerous, too.  According to AOL's E-Mail Addiction study, 40 percent of e-mail users have checked their e-mail in the middle of the night, literally sleeping with their blackberries, iphones, and other personal hand-held devices. This addiction increasingly disrupts normal sleeping patterns.

            The implications for family caregivers are clear and compelling.  TV often becomes a comforting ritual against loneliness, impaired mobility, and illness for our loved ones, especially the elderly.  It should not be the substitute for physical activity (even for the bedridden) and mental stimulation.

            We need to turn off, tune in, unplug…and live longer and better!