June 27, 2014 by Bukola Adebayo
Maybe
you have lined up your favourite movies for watching all through the
weekend; but you may need to change your plan, as evidence has emerged
that effects of sitting for too long in front of the television may be
as deadly as that of smoking.
Scientists say too much TV time does not
only affect your eyesight or vision, but it may double your risk of
dying prematurely from obesity, lack of exercise, diabetes, hypertension
and heart diseases.
According to the physicians, every hour spent watching television shortens the viewer’s life by 22 minutes.
Researchers say adults who watch TV three
hours or more a day may double their risk of premature death from any
cause, compared to those who watch less or do not watch at all.
Consultant cardiologist, Dr. Segun
Akinsanya, says though the dangers have nothing to do with the TV, the
fact that watching TV for long hours encourages sedentary living, bad
posture and increases one’s risk of adding excess calories, which all
have negative consequences on life expectancy.
He says, “We must get it right, the
warning has nothing to do with the effects of the TV because that is
what most people think. We are discouraging it because it is easy to
make watching TV a habit and when it becomes one, it is hard to quit.
“Watching TV is a sedentary habit that
you gain nothing much from. It discourages you from exercising and
increases your chances of being obese in dangerous areas, like the belly
and the thighs.
“Every hour you spend fiddling with your
remote control and switching channels decreases your cardiovascular
health, which is as important as breathing. Many metabolic functions are
on hold while you are sitting in a spot for long. One of them is
efficient blood circulation.”
Also, some thought-provoking studies by
scientists at the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, strongly
suggest that it is high time one stopped being a couch potato watching
marathon Mexican soaps or television series, which may cut one’s life
expectancy by a quarter.
The team of researchers assessed 13,284
young and healthy Spanish university graduates between age 37 and 50 who
were mostly women, to determine the relationship between three types of
sedentary behaviours such as television viewing time, sitting at the
computer and time spent driving and its risks to death.
Interestingly, it was revealed that
television viewing is the worst sedentary habit an individual can adopt.
The Spanish scientists reported 97 deaths, with 19 deaths from
cardiovascular causes, 46 from cancer and 32 from other causes in those
that were studied during the period.
Most importantly, they discovered that
the risk of death was two-fold higher for participants who reportedly
watched three or more hours of TV a day, compared to those watching one
or less hours.
This two-fold higher risk was also
apparent after accounting for a wide array of other variables related to
a higher risk of death.
The study’s lead author and a professor
at the Department of Public Health at the university, Dr. Miguel
Martinez-Gonzalez, says that television watching is gradually reducing
life expectancy of many, especially women, in the 21st century.
Martinez-Gonzalez says, “The world is
becoming more sedentary. With a touch and not having to move, you get
entertained for hours. Television viewing is a major sedentary behaviour
that is threatening the lives of many, but it is adults that must be
more be careful.
“As the population ages, sedentary
behaviours will become more prevalent, especially watching television;
and this poses an additional burden on the increased health problems
related to ageing.
“Our findings suggest that adults may
consider increasing their physical activity, avoid long sedentary
periods, and reduce television watching to no longer than one hour each
day.”
Physicians say watching too much TV is as
dangerous as smoking or being overweight, and that sedentary lifestyle
whose effects include obesity and heart diseases should now be seen as a
public health problem.
Staying glued to the TV on weekends
especially, is addictive .It’s addiction has surpassed that of tobacco
in many surveys. It will take much effort on ones part to break the
habit.
Akinsanya advises that one should not
just cut TV hours to one hour per day but also use at least 30 minutes
of it for brisk walking or running around in the environment to exercise
the various muscles of the body, which he says is good for blood
circulation.
To help you cope better on this journey
of being more active, here are some other entertaining activities you
can add to your weekend schedule to ensure that you have maximum fun.
Pursue a hobby: Day in
and day out — weekdays are a drag. Routines can start to wear on even
the most fortuitous minds. Having some sort of hobby, no matter how
obscure, can be a great way for you to shake off the dust of monotony
that settles on your brain five days a week. Hobbies, whether they’re
based in logic or creativity, allow your brain to wander leisurely down
curious avenues of thought while flexing your ability to think
critically and perceive patterns.
Playing Sudoku, the piano, or volleyball
are some pretty good options. Hobbies are like yoga for your brain; they
help create more “flexible” thought patterns than can be used to solve
complex problems in the future. Plus they’re an excellent outlet for
stress.
Disconnect: The most
successful people avoid e-mail for a period of time, Vanderkam says.
“I’m not saying the whole weekend, but even just a walk without the
phone can feel liberating. I advocate taking a ‘tech Sabbath.’ If you
don’t have a specific religious obligation of no-work time, taking
Saturday night to mid-day Sunday off is a nice, ecumenical time that
works for many people.”
Volunteer: Participate
in fundraising events in your church, association or community. This is a
great way to network and to meet others with similar interests. The
visibility also helps in branding you as a philanthropist.
Socialise: Humans are
social creatures, and studies of people’s experienced happiness through
the day finds that socialising ranks right up there, not too far down
below sex. Go out with friends and family, or get involved in the local
community.
Blessing
Kemi Ogundiran, popularly known as Bliss K, is a poet, songwriter,
singer, novelist and playwright. The Kwara State-born lady spoke with
TOYIN KOMOLAFE on the challenges writers face in Nigeria, her plans for
the future and sundry issues. Excerpts:
