The physical health effects of watching too much TV

It’s well known that having a sedentary lifestyle has health risks. Now, a study by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology has warned about the risk of blood clots. 

Regular exercise is extremely important to your physical and mental health. Even small amounts of activity can be beneficial, especially during times of stress. 

However, the researchers have found that more consumers are missing out on this because they are watching too much TV, and this is lined with worse long-term health. 

Sitting down and watching TV for several hours or more can increase the risk of blood clots for consumers, especially if they don’t get up regularly and take a break. 

How risky is watching TV without a break?

For the study, the researchers analyzed data collected from over 130,000 participants over the age of 40. They were asked about their habits, including how much TV they watch. 

Then, the researchers looked at their health outcomes over a 20-year period. They found that watching more than four hours of TV increased the risk of venous thromboembolism. The risk was 1.35 times higher in this group than those that watched less than 2.5 hours per day. 

The researchers add that “Prolonged TV viewing involves immobilization which is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). This is why people are encouraged to move around after surgery or during a long-haul flight,”

“All three studies adjusted for these factors [age, sex, body mass index, and physical activity] since they are strongly related to the risk of VTE; for instance, older age, higher BMI, and physical inactivity are linked with an increased risk of VTE.” 

“The findings indicate that regardless of physical activity, your BMI, how old you are, and your gender, watching many hours of television is a risky activity with regards to developing blood clots.”