Binge-Watching Linked to Increase Risk of Death

Thanks to streaming TV services like Amazon Video, Netflix, Hulu and SlingTV, more and more people are binge-watching their favorite shows. Instead of waiting for the next new episode to air, for instance, streaming TV allows you to watch as many episodes as you want back to back. Binge-watching has become so popular, in fact, that 70% of U.S. consumers watch five episodes per session, according to Variety.

But you should think twice before spending your next day off work binge-watching because a new study has linked this popular past time to an increased risk of death. According to a team of researchers from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia, people who binge-watch TV are more likely to die from inflammation-related disease and illness than their physically active counterparts.

For the study, researchers analyzed the survey results of more than 8,900 participants, all of whom were asked questions about their health and TV-viewing habits. Researchers found that every additionally hour participants spent watching TV in a day increased the risk of inflammation-related death by 12%. Watching five hours of TV daily, for instance, resulted in a 60% increase of inflammation-related death.

When inflammation occurs inside the body, it can have serious implications for the way in which organs and systems work. Inflammation-related diseases include Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and Alzheimer's.

“With on-demand television, many of us easily spend several hours a day binge-watching our favorite shows,” said lead study researcher Dr. Megan Grace. “Those who spent more time watching TV were older, less likely to have completed at least 12 years of education, had lower household income, were more likely to be current or ex-smokers, more likely to have diabetes or hypertension and had a more adverse overall health profile.”

This isn't the only study linking long periods of sitting to adverse health effects. A separate study conducted by the American Cancer Society (ACS) in 2015 found a link between prolonged sitting and a variety of diseases, including cancer. The ACS found that prolonged sitting was linked to a 10% higher risk of cancer in women.

So, what should you take away from these studies? In short, prolonged sitting is bad for your health. It disturbs your body's hormones, metabolism and blood sugar levels. Furthermore, it may increase your risk of certain diseases. The bottom line is that we need to spend more time moving to maintain good health.