Can too much TV watching be bad for your health?

Could watching Survivor reduce your own chances of survival? Might The Biggest Loser be causing you to lose years off your life?

A new study says yes — if the shows you watch add up to three or more hours of television a day.

The researchers followed 13,000 Spanish university graduates for about eight years. They wanted to see if sedentary behavior, like watching TV, driving or being on the computer carried a greater risk of dying.

Subjects who spent the most time in front of the TV, they found, had twice the risk of an early death. Time spent on-line or driving didn’t seem to have the same effect.

But it’s not completely clear why this is.

An American Heart Association cardiologist thought people who spend hours watching television may be neglecting their lifestyle and diet.

The study’s lead author suggested it was related to the passive nature of TV viewing.

“When you’re watching television, you’re completely relaxed, spending no energy, and there’s no tension in your muscles,” he said. “If you’re driving or using a computer for working, you are stressed.”

If that’s true, I wonder if it makes a difference what kinds of shows you watch. Would the “tension” of coming up with Jeopardy answers jeopardize your health less than sitting around watching The Bachelor?

Sources:

“Study: Watching too much TV could lead to early death” Hoai-Tran Bui, June 25, 2014, USA Today, usatoday.com