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TV Is Bad for You, Say Buzz-kill Scientists

Photo: iStockphoto
Six hours of TV a day does sound like a lot. Photo: iStockphoto

TV is just as bad for you as smoking and eating crappy food, says a new study that wants to ruin every last ounce of joy in life. According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, “TV viewing time may be associated with a loss of life,” and that watching TV for six hours a day can reduce a person’s lifespan by 4.8 years. The study was conducted in Australia, where obesity and cancer run counterclockwise, but its authors say that the findings apply to other countries as well. The study shows that TV and premature death are correlated, but it’s not actually a causal relationship: The TV itself isn’t killing you, but the sitting around, the mindless eating, and the never exercising might be. Plus, according to one expert — though not the one that conducted this study — many hardcore TV viewers are “lonely, or isolated, or depressed, and these conditions, in turn, may be the real causes of premature mortality.” So enjoy those stories! Just try not to be so depressed and obese. [USA Today]

TV Is Bad for You, Say Buzz-kill Scientists