WSJ TV Viewing

In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.

Australian researchers who tracked 8,800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of the tube.

"Just standing is better than sitting," says Gerard Fletcher, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., who works standing up at his computer.

Indeed, participants in the study reported getting between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise a day, on average.

In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.

"It's the incidental moving around, walking around, standing up and utilizing muscles that [doesn't happen] when we're plunked on a couch in front of a television."

Dr. Hamilton of the Pennington research center cautions that such population-based studies can only show correlations, but his own study of what happens when people and animals become inactive offers support for the connections.

One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected—even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still.

The results are supported by an emerging field of research that shows how prolonged periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk.

Simple strategies for increasing activity include incorporating household chores such as folding laundry into TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.

"It's the incidental moving around, walking around, standing up and utilizing muscles that [doesn't happen] when we're plunked on a couch in front of a television."

And they suggest that people can help mitigate such risk simply by avoiding extended periods of sitting.

Australian researchers who tracked 8,800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of the tube.

In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.

Time spent in front of TVs and computers and videogames has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and around the world.

The report, being published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, focuses on TV watching in part because it is the predominant leisure-time activity in many countries, researchers said, especially in the U.S. A study by ratings firm Nielsen Co. found that Americans averaged 151 hours of TV viewing a month in the fourth quarter of 2008—more than five hours a day.

Simple strategies for increasing activity include incorporating household chores such as folding laundry into TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.

Instead of fat being transported to muscle tissue where it is burned as fuel, fat accumulates in the blood stream, where over time it can damage arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease.

In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.

Time spent in front of TVs and computers and videogames has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and around the world.

"It's the incidental moving around, walking around, standing up and utilizing muscles that [doesn't happen] when we're plunked on a couch in front of a television."

A heightened risk for death from cancer wasn't statistically significant, but the other findings held up even after adjusting not only for exercise, but for such risk factors as age, gender and waist circumference.

Time spent in front of TVs and computers and videogames has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and around the world.

One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected—even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still.

The results are supported by an emerging field of research that shows how prolonged periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk.

Participants in the study were 50 years old on average when they enrolled in 1999 and 2000.

Time spent in front of TVs and computers and videogames has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and around the world.

"The implication of these findings is that the extraordinary amount of sitting can undo the good effects that we know are a benefit when we get regular exercise," Dr. Dunstan says.

The results are supported by an emerging field of research that shows how prolonged periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk.

But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill or a soccer field.

Instead of fat being transported to muscle tissue where it is burned as fuel, fat accumulates in the blood stream, where over time it can damage arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease.

In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.

Indeed, a recent Canadian study, for instance, linked increasing time spent sitting down for any reason to higher risk of death from heart-related reasons and from any cause.

The results are supported by an emerging field of research that shows how prolonged periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk.

None of this diminishes the importance of the benefits derived from breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up during regular vigorous physical activity, he says.

A limitation of the study is that information on TV watching time and exercise was obtained at enrollment and not otherwise verified or checked during the remainder of the study, but researchers said the findings are consistent with other research.

After an average six years of follow-up, 284 of the participants died, including 87 from cardiovascular causes and 125 from cancer.

In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death.

One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected—even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still.

A heightened risk for death from cancer wasn't statistically significant, but the other findings held up even after adjusting not only for exercise, but for such risk factors as age, gender and waist circumference.

Time spent in front of TVs and computers and videogames has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and around the world.

None of this diminishes the importance of the benefits derived from breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up during regular vigorous physical activity, he says.

"When we're sitting down or even lying on the couch, we're burning the equivalent of the energy we burn when we're sleeping."

Adding Routine Movement
Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn't require constant intense exercise, but consciously adding more routine movement to your life might help, doctors say.

"If you're not up on your feet moving around, you're sedentary," says Marc Hamilton, a scientist at Pennnington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, La., who studies the biology of inactivity and who wasn't involved with the Australian study.

Simple strategies for increasing activity include incorporating household chores such as folding laundry into TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.

But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill or a soccer field.

"If you're not up on your feet moving around, you're sedentary," says Marc Hamilton, a scientist at Pennnington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, La., who studies the biology of inactivity and who wasn't involved with the Australian study.

One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected—even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still.

The report, being published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, focuses on TV watching in part because it is the predominant leisure-time activity in many countries, researchers said, especially in the U.S. A study by ratings firm Nielsen Co. found that Americans averaged 151 hours of TV viewing a month in the fourth quarter of 2008—more than five hours a day.

But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill or a soccer field.

The report, being published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, focuses on TV watching in part because it is the predominant leisure-time activity in many countries, researchers said, especially in the U.S. A study by ratings firm Nielsen Co. found that Americans averaged 151 hours of TV viewing a month in the fourth quarter of 2008—more than five hours a day.

Dr. Hamilton of the Pennington research center cautions that such population-based studies can only show correlations, but his own study of what happens when people and animals become inactive offers support for the connections.

Australian researchers who tracked 8,800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of the tube.

None of this diminishes the importance of the benefits derived from breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up during regular vigorous physical activity, he says.

None of this diminishes the importance of the benefits derived from breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up during regular vigorous physical activity, he says.

A heightened risk for death from cancer wasn't statistically significant, but the other findings held up even after adjusting not only for exercise, but for such risk factors as age, gender and waist circumference.

"It's not the sweaty type of exercise we're losing," says David Dunstan, a researcher at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, who led the study.

Indeed, a recent Canadian study, for instance, linked increasing time spent sitting down for any reason to higher risk of death from heart-related reasons and from any cause.

A heightened risk for death from cancer wasn't statistically significant, but the other findings held up even after adjusting not only for exercise, but for such risk factors as age, gender and waist circumference.

Instead of fat being transported to muscle tissue where it is burned as fuel, fat accumulates in the blood stream, where over time it can damage arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease.

None of this diminishes the importance of the benefits derived from breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up during regular vigorous physical activity, he says.

Instead of fat being transported to muscle tissue where it is burned as fuel, fat accumulates in the blood stream, where over time it can damage arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease.

Instead of fat being transported to muscle tissue where it is burned as fuel, fat accumulates in the blood stream, where over time it can damage arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease.

And they suggest that people can help mitigate such risk simply by avoiding extended periods of sitting.

Adding Routine Movement
Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn't require constant intense exercise, but consciously adding more routine movement to your life might help, doctors say.

One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected—even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still.

Moving Muscles
Dr. Dunstan says other research shows the important role of muscle movement in how the body processes blood sugar and blood fats.

Simple strategies for increasing activity include incorporating household chores such as folding laundry into TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.

"If you're not up on your feet moving around, you're sedentary," says Marc Hamilton, a scientist at Pennnington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, La., who studies the biology of inactivity and who wasn't involved with the Australian study.

The report, being published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, focuses on TV watching in part because it is the predominant leisure-time activity in many countries, researchers said, especially in the U.S. A study by ratings firm Nielsen Co. found that Americans averaged 151 hours of TV viewing a month in the fourth quarter of 2008—more than five hours a day.

The results are supported by an emerging field of research that shows how prolonged periods of inactivity can affect the body's processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk.

Adding Routine Movement
Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn't require constant intense exercise, but consciously adding more routine movement to your life might help, doctors say.

"The implication of these findings is that the extraordinary amount of sitting can undo the good effects that we know are a benefit when we get regular exercise," Dr. Dunstan says.

None of this diminishes the importance of the benefits derived from breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up during regular vigorous physical activity, he says.

Indeed, participants in the study reported getting between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise a day, on average.

Australian researchers who tracked 8,800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of the tube.

Dr. Hamilton of the Pennington research center cautions that such population-based studies can only show correlations, but his own study of what happens when people and animals become inactive offers support for the connections.

"When we're sitting down or even lying on the couch, we're burning the equivalent of the energy we burn when we're sleeping."

But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill or a soccer field.

And they suggest that people can help mitigate such risk simply by avoiding extended periods of sitting.

One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected—even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still.

Dr. Hamilton says studies suggest that after just one day of inactivity, levels of HDL, or good cholesterol, which helps transport LDL or bad cholesterol out of the blood stream, can fall by as much as 20%.

The report, being published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, focuses on TV watching in part because it is the predominant leisure-time activity in many countries, researchers said, especially in the U.S. A study by ratings firm Nielsen Co. found that Americans averaged 151 hours of TV viewing a month in the fourth quarter of 2008—more than five hours a day.

If you're reading this sitting down, you might consider standing up.

Simple strategies for increasing activity include incorporating household chores such as folding laundry into TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control.

A limitation of the study is that information on TV watching time and exercise was obtained at enrollment and not otherwise verified or checked during the remainder of the study, but researchers said the findings are consistent with other research.

None of this diminishes the importance of the benefits derived from breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up during regular vigorous physical activity, he says.

Australian researchers who tracked 8,800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of the tube.

But Dr. Dunstan says the results also likely apply to such sedentary activities as sitting in front of a computer, reading a book, driving or taking the train to work.