According to Nielsen, the typical adult in the United States spends nearly five hours a day watching television. Much of this screen time occurs while lounging comfortably on a sofa or bed, which fosters a sedentary lifestyle.
Recent studies suggest that reducing TV viewing time by just one hour could decrease the risk of heart disease and other vascular conditions, particularly for individuals who are genetically predisposed to diabetes. This research represents one of the initial links connecting sedentary behavior associated with TV watching to health risks related to diabetes.
These findings are particularly significant in light of health statistics in the U.S. Currently, about one in ten adults are living with diabetes, amounting to over 38 million individuals. Those diagnosed with diabetes have a markedly higher chance of developing heart diseases, which are a leading cause of mortality in the country.
Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association indicates that spending an additional hour watching television each day can heighten the risk of heart disease by 12%.
Among those with moderate to high genetic risk for Type 2 diabetes, limiting TV time to less than an hour daily did not correlate with increased cardiovascular risks.
“Type 2 diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle, characterized by extended periods of sitting, are significant contributors to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases,” remarks Younwon Kim, the study’s lead author and a faculty member at The University of Hong Kong.
This isn’t the first investigation to connect sedentary habits with health issues. In 2021, the AHA released research indicating that excessive TV viewing and computer use increase the risk of strokes. Additionally, they associated regular high levels of TV watching with cognitive decline and a greater likelihood of dementia.
“TV watching, which accounts for more than half of total daily sedentary time, is consistently linked to an increased likelihood of Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis,” adds Kim. The researchers propose using TV viewing habits as a behavioral target for individuals with diabetes who are at risk for heart disease.
The paper also noted that sedentary behavior, such as watching TV, could serve as a potential therapeutic approach for the general population, not just those at risk for Type 2 diabetes. Experts from the American Heart Association (AHA) have reaffirmed the impact of sedentary behavior on cardiovascular health in discussions with Digital Trends.
