91吃瓜网

Spring 2020 | By Nicole Dudenhoefer聽鈥�17

In a time when streaming platforms such as聽Netflix and Hulu reign supreme, most of us are聽familiar with the delightful feeling when a new聽season of our favorite show drops. We curl up, grab聽some snacks and binge-watch our way through聽hours of entertainment until we鈥檙e left longing for聽more. And while we are getting more, it鈥檚 leaving聽us less healthy.

Regularly spending four or more hours a day聽watching television can increase the risk of聽cardiovascular disease or early death by 50 percent,聽according to an American Heart Association (AHA)聽study led by 91吃瓜网 Assistant Professor Jeanette聽Garcia.

The study followed more than 3,500 black聽residents of Jackson, Mississippi, for about 8.5 years.聽Nearly 44 percent of black men and 48 percent of聽black women living in the United States have some聽form of cardiovascular disease, according to the聽Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although the study focused on a specific聽demographic, Garcia says the findings provide聽benefits for any population since heart disease聽is the leading cause of death for Americans of聽every background.

More people are also living increasingly sedentary聽lifestyles. In 2018, the AHA found an 83 percent聽increase in desk jobs since 1950, with those who work聽in offices spending more than 89 percent of their聽time sitting. On top of that, there鈥檚 also an increase聽in commute times and accessibility to streaming聽services.

鈥淪ome of the questions our researcher had were, 鈥業s聽all sedentary behavior created equal? Is sitting during聽a workday worse than watching television?鈥� 鈥� Garcia聽says. 鈥淭he answer is no 鈥� there are more harmful聽effects from sitting and watching TV.鈥�

While most office workers spend their day at their聽desk, they often have interruptions, leading them to聽walk more often than the average television watcher.聽No matter how small, each movement matters.

鈥淓ven sitting for just one prolonged period of time,聽you鈥檙e still going to notice things like your muscles聽getting tight,鈥� Garcia says. 鈥淢ovement or exercise聽creates an insulin-like effect where your glucose聽uptake is increased. When you鈥檙e sitting for a long聽period of time, very little uptake happens. That鈥檚聽why there鈥檚 also a risk for Type 2 diabetes with聽prolonged sitting.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of times we focus on physical activity and emphasize getting a certain amount of exercise, but I think it鈥檚 easier to focus on decreasing or breaking up sedentary behavior instead,鈥� Garcia says.

As alarming as the findings in Garcia鈥檚 study are,聽it doesn鈥檛 mean you have to give up TV watching聽altogether. The risks are significantly lower if聽you watch less than two hours of TV a day and聽take breaks.

鈥淎 lot of times we focus on physical activity and聽emphasize getting a certain amount of exercise, but I聽think it鈥檚 easier to focus on decreasing or breaking up聽sedentary behavior instead,鈥� Garcia says. 鈥淕oing for聽a run can be intimidating for some people, so I think聽it鈥檚 more manageable for some people to stand up,聽stretch or take walks.鈥�