If you’re a TV buff, we’re about to bring you some disheartening news. A study conducted by the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that mortality rates in young adults may be linked to the amount of television you watch. The study claims that there was a clear connection between amount of time spent watching TV and early death.
This study differs than many others in the field because it was conducted on young adults. The study also claims that other sedentary activities such as driving or working at a computer were not shown to have the same cause and effect.
The author of the study, Miguel Martinez-Gonzales states, “Television viewing is a major sedentary behavior and there is an increasing trend toward all types of sedentary behaviors.” The study, conducted with over 13,000 college graduates in Spain for around 8 years, asked its participants about their sitting activities, such as watching TV, working on the computer, and driving. Over the course of the study, there were 97 deaths, 19 of which were from heart-related causes, 46 from cancer, and 32 from other causes.
Although the findings may be shocking to some, the study neglects to list the underlying conditions of the participants in the study. If some of the participants had prior health concerns, maybe watching TV isn’t all that bad? Here’s hoping.
[via Forbes]
