Tag Archives: watching TV

Streaming providers are all the rage, bringing entertainment to tens of thousands of audiences. On-demand availability to television, movie marathon and miniseries provides viewers with a sense of control, escape, relaxation, and relief from boredom. However, on the flip side of these habits, people may find that too much time watching TV can affect their health in ways they didn’t anticipate and possibly lead to more chronic addiction. With that in mind, posted below are some of the possible health risks of excessive TV viewing.

Physical Inactivity

By replacing an active lifestyle with a predominantly sedentary one, your health is directly linked to several health issues, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. The challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic may also be a contributing factor; not only are people who consume shelter in a place more enjoyable, but they also do so in the evening and late evening, and morning hours. A non-active sitting activity like prolong watching TV is associated with an increase of up to 25 percent higher body mass index and body fat percentage in young adults, as well as metabolic syndrome in general.

Poor Dietary Intake

Snacking while bingeing may make your outward calorie ratio unbalanced. Data published in PLoS One in July 2014 showed a strong link between TV viewing and habitual food intake, regardless of appetite level. This is in part because “distraction intake” is associated with higher food intake and obesity. In the majority of cases, food choices for this bad habit are not always the healthiest. They usually consist of sweet beverages, popcorn, a cocktail or two, or a glass of wine on a daily or nightly basis.

Poor Sleep Quality

Health experts say that sleep plays a very important role in physical and mental health, well-being, and safety. Sleep helps the brain function properly and promotes mental well-being, heals and repairs blood vessels, promotes healthy development, and provides a healthier hormonal balance. A binge frequency of sleep harms overall sleep quality, primarily because it interferes with the ability to “cool down” or shut down the mind after a prolonged TV marathon. As a result, it takes longer to fall asleep, especially if watching TV continues into the early morning hours.

Behavioral Addiction

Researchers believe that too much TV viewing (especially among teens) may “tickle” the pleasure centers of the brain of certain viewers, much like gaming or other habits. Increasingly seeking the satisfaction of exciting story arcs and endings, these fans indulge to the point that binge-watching extends into daily life and interferes with school, work, or other obligations. Research suggests that the addiction-like characteristics that make it difficult to stop watching television are neurologically similar to those that occur in addiction.