The average American is spending about 10 hours every day watching television. This means that almost half of their day, every day, is spent looking at a screen, whether that be a tablet, television, computer, video game, or some other multimedia device.

For the average American who is watching roughly 10 hours every day, that means their binge-watching habit is equivalent to a full-time job in the amount of time that it's consuming from their life.

Some other reports have suggested that the number spent watching television might not be as high as 10 hours every day, others have estimated that it's somewhere around 5 hours a day.

Regardless of the discrepancy, what's clear is that for millions of people it's still their favorite pastime and today we've got more options than ever when it comes to deciding what content we want to consume on the screen.

The idle lifestyle that comes along with molding a permanent position into the couch after hours of binge-watching your favorite shows, has long been a concern for psychologists, healthcare professionals, and researchers.

Numerous studies have sought to investigate the couch potato lifestyle, with results warning that such a lifestyle could promote a myriad of health concerns later down the road.

Aging Faster...

Researchers from UCSD previously found that for those with more of a sedentary lifestyle, that includes spending around 10 hours every day sitting, that their cells were found to be biologically older.

On average, they saw roughly an 8yr biological age gap compared with those of the same age who didn't spend as much time sitting down.

And while some estimates say we might be spending anywhere between 5-10 hours a day sitting down watching our favorite content, it gets a lot worse for some; others have suggested that the number might be much higher than that.

There are some folks out there who are spending around 18 hours a day consuming content, though the average is around 10 hrs for most.

And because we no longer need to sit on the couch in front of the television in order to watch shows we like, it makes it a lot easier for people to maintain the habit.

Aside from the concerns over the rapid biological aging of cells, researchers have also warned that for children that this sort of sedentary lifestyle could promote concerns in the area of bone health.

If children aren't physically active enough, due to their binge-watching habits, then that could negatively impact the development of bone strength and density. And it's harming our health in other ways as well.

According to a report that was recently published in the Journal of Health Psychology, researchers suggest that binge-watching our favorite shows might fuel a myriad of problems, from sleep issues, to much worse.

It also drastically increases the chances of someone binge-eating, pleasure eating snacks, something that they might later regret and reap unwanted results from.

For some binge-watchers they might be missing work, sleep, or neglecting responsibilities etc, all to catch up on their favorite shows.

Psychologists have frequently suggested that binge-watching your favorite shows is an addiction, comparing it with the same binge potential for habits involving drugs, sex, or eating.

Reverse The Damage

It's not too late to make changes and to start moving in another direction.

Even for those who might have had many years building a habit of watching their favorite shows and not getting much exercise, they always have the option to change things and to start building a new habit in their life.

Researchers suggest that by opting to make that change and start to incorporate more exercise into your life, that you could in-turn reverse the heart effects that might have come along with that sedentary lifestyle.

In some cases, simply making the change to replace ~~sedentary time~~ with light, everyday activity, such as simple housework, that it could help to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and more.

Pics:
via REUTERS / from vocativ
simpsons via Giphy
Pixabay
pixabay
simpsons via giphy

The information that is posted above is not intended or implied to ever be used as any substitute for professional medical advice, or diagnosis or treatment. The above is posted for informational purposes only.

Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/30/health/americans-screen-time-nielsen/index.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-tv-do-americans-watch-2016-6
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/the-one-where-scientists-discover-were-binging-on-box-sets-for-up-to-14-hours-a-day-getting-fat-losing-sleep-and-wasting-our-livesresearch-reveals-dangers-of-streaming-tv-episodes-back-to/
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/219842/20180128/replacing-sedentary-time-with-30-minutes-of-housework-can-benefit-health.htm
http://www.vocativ.com/343665/study-cord-cutters-spend-more-time-looking-for-something-to-watch-on-netflix/index.html
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/breathe/2018/01/08/get-up-walk-around-take-stairs-even-little-changes-can-turn-around-sedentary-lifestyles/989856001/
http://www.cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/heart-failure/exercise-training-middle-age-can-reverse-heart-effects-sedentary-lifestyle
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/regular-exercise-takes-years-laziness-study-finds-n835831
http://www.wral.com/binge-watching-shows-can-release-feel-good-chemical-in-brain-doctor-says/17282679/
https://hellogiggles.com/reviews-coverage/tv-shows/binge-watching-affect-sleep-scary-ways/

What Do You Get For All Of That Binge-Watching?

For the average American who is watching roughly 10 hours every day, that means their binge-watching habit is equivalent to a full-time job in the amount of time that it's consuming from their life.

Numerous studies have sought to investigate the couch potato lifestyle, with results warning that such a lifestyle could promote a myriad of health concerns later down the road.

Aging Faster...

On average, they saw roughly an 8yr biological age gap compared with those of the same age who didn't spend as much time sitting down.

There are some folks out there who are spending around 18 hours a day consuming content, though the average is around 10 hrs for most.

Aside from the concerns over the rapid biological aging of cells, researchers have also warned that for children that this sort of sedentary lifestyle could promote concerns in the area of bone health.

It also drastically increases the chances of someone binge-eating, pleasure eating snacks, something that they might later regret and reap unwanted results from.

Reverse The Damage

Related Posts:

New Study Investigates Link Between Idle Lifestyle And Biological Aging

3D Televisions Being Phased Out Of Market

Kids Risking Bone Issues Over Couch Potato Lifestyle Says New Study

New Study Breaks Down Consumers TV-Viewing Habits

Daily Exposure To Greenery Could Help To Extend Your Life Suggests New Study