Too Much Time Watching TV Shortens Life Span, Study Finds

Senior citizens watch an average of more than 200 hours a month of television, which increases their risk of death from cardiovascular disease, a new study reports.

Those age 65 and older watch television more than any other age group –an average of 210 hours, according to Nielsen’s Anywhere Anytime Media Measurement initiative. The average American watches about 153 hours of TV at home.

Australian researchers tracked the lifestyle habits of 8,800 adults and found that every hour spent in front of a television daily was associated with:

·         An 11 percent increased risk of death from all causes.

·         An 18 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death.

·         A 9 percent increased risk of cancer death.

Compared with people who watched less than two hours of television daily, those who watched more than four hours a day had a 46 percent higher risk of death from all causes and an 80 percent increased risk for cardiovascular-related deaths, Senior Journal reports.

While the study focused on television watching, the findings suggest that any prolonged sedentary behavior may pose a risk to one’s health.

The human body was designed to move, not sit for long periods of time, said lead author David Dunstan, Ph.D., of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia. “What has happened is that a lot of the normal activities of daily living that involved standing up and moving the muscles in the body have been converted to sitting,” he said.

Older adults clearly need to stay more active as they age, and if they are also in need of extra help living at home, there’s no better way to get moving again than through Home Instead Senior Care. Our caregivers encourage our seniors to get up off the couch and doing things, even if it is just minor exercise.

Home Instead’s outstanding caregivers provide personal care to your loved one, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.