Behavior Change and Health News


New research reinforces message of TV-Turnoff week

A newly released study from Harvard reinforces the message of TV-Turnoff Week (April 21 to 27): Watching less television will improve your health. Researchers found that watching television is strongly associated with an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. TV watching increases risk more than sitting at home or at work reading, writing, sewing, or driving a car.

The study analyzed more than 118,000 women from the Nurses Health Study1 from 1992 to 1998. In 1992, the participants reported the amount of time they spent each week in sedentary activities: sitting at home watching TV, sitting at work or away from home or driving, other time sitting at home, and standing or walking at home or at work. In 1992, 1994, and 1996, the participants were asked to report the amount of time spent each week in physical activity (walking, jogging, biking, swimming) and the intensity of their activity.

The results of the study are staggering: For each two-hour-a-day increase in time spent watching TV, there was a 23% increase in obesity risk and 14% increase in diabetes risk. On the other hand, simply standing or walking around at home or at work resulted in lowered risk of obesity and diabetes. Each one-hour-a-day increase in brisk walking was associated with a 24% reduction in obesity risk and a 34% reduction in diabetes risk.

Researchers say that the relationship between TV watching and increased risk of obesity and diabetes may be due to a combination of three factors:
  1. People usually watch TV instead of being physically active.
  2. TV watching results in increased food intake and unhealthful eating patterns (from the influence of commercials and the fact that most people eat while watching TV).
  3. TV watching results in lower energy expenditure than other sedentary activities.
Think twice next time you pick up the remote. This study concludes that 30% of new obesity cases and 43% of type 2 diabetes cases could be prevented if people spent less time watching TV and more time being physically active. Simply giving up your least favorite TV show and using the time to take a walk or play with your kids may significantly improve your health. The Active Living Every Day course provides many other simple and realistic ways to add physical activity to your life. For more information click here.

TV-Turnoff Week is a national event designed to encourage Americans to watch less television in order to live healthier lives and build stronger communities. For more information on TV-Turnoff Week visit www.tvturnoff.org.


Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association, April 9, 2003

1The Nurses Health Study began in 1976 when more than 120,000 registered nurses in 11 states replied to mailed questionnaires detailing their medical history and health practices.





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