Who watches TV anymore? With Netflix, Hulu, and other video on demand applications - television is history. Why sit through commercials when you can stream multiple episodes of your current binge show in a row, without interruptions? Ah yes, it's come to this. Binge TV. And yes, it's really really bad for you.

According to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, adults who watch TV for three hours or more each day, double their risk of premature death compared to those who watch less.

Researchers studied more than thirteen thousand young people to determine the association between, and risk of death from three sedentary behaviors: television viewing time, computer time and driving time. They followed the subjects for about eight years, and found that out of 97 deaths, the risk of death was doubled for those who watched three or more hours of TV a day compared to those watching one hour or fewer. That risk was also evident in consideration of a wide array of variables.

The researchers didn't find a significant link between similar sedentary activity, like using a computer or driving a vehicle. Maybe because when driving a vehicle, one is still alert and engaged.

Apparently, the inactive or comatose state of sitting there staring at a screen is so detrimental that we might die younger. No doubt it curbs our social interactions as well, which has been found to simulate our brains and likely our hearts.

In conclusion, laying slumped on the couch with an iPad balanced on your stomach, letting Breaking Bad autoplay one show after another, does nothing for your health. (not that I would know anything about that description) So go text a buddy and go for a hike. Even meeting up for a glass of wine will do more for your well-being than binge watching.

You're welcome.

Source: American Heart Association