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MUMBAI:
Scientists have warned that watching too much television will
shorten life span by 4.8 years. The researchers from University
of Queensland have said that every time an individual spends
at least one hour in front of the television set, their life
expectancy reduces by 22 minutes.
The
study which is to be published in British Journal of Sports
Medicine is based on the data from the National Bureau of
Statistics and the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle
Study. It is based on an average six hours viewing per day,
compared to a person who watches no television.
The
study said that TV viewing time may affect the health of a
person because of the lack of physical activity, obesity and
smoking.
Further
study is required to confirm this, and to specify the link
of TV viewing time with mortality.
Also,
the Australian and US guidelines for children recommend no
more than two hours of screen time/day. With further corroborative
evidence, a public health case could be made that adults also
need to limit the time spent watching TV, the report said.
Though
the researchers used Australian data, the effects in other
industrialised and developing countries are likely to be comparable,
given the large amounts of time spent watching TV and similarities
in disease patterns.
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