| Americans love their TVs – and they show it by | | | | issue of Social Indicators Research. It concluded that |
| tuning in for more than four hours a day.(1) With digital | | | | unhappy people watch considerably more television |
| cable and satellite reception, hundreds of stations feed | | | | – at least 20% more - than happy people do.(6,7) |
| directly into the electronic box in your living room or | | | | Why? |
| family room. Add the TIVO or DVR feature and you | | | | It turns out that truly happy people derive more |
| can sit and watch programs on any subject, anytime, | | | | pleasure from active pursuits like reading and |
| anywhere. | | | | socializing. "TV doesn't really seem to satisfy people |
| Modern Marvel or Morbid Messenger? | | | | over the long haul the way that social involvement or |
| Television viewing can be either, depending on how | | | | reading a newspaper does," says University of |
| you make use of it. On the one hand, TV can be | | | | Maryland sociologist John P. Robinson, the study |
| educational or refreshingly entertaining. It can let you | | | | co-author and a pioneer in time-use studies. "it's more |
| travel the world, expose you to delightful ideas and | | | | passive and may provide escape – especially when |
| inspire you to learn and try new things. | | | | the news is as depressing as the economy itself. The |
| On the other hand, it can become a passive, | | | | data suggests to us that the TV habit may offer |
| mind-numbing activity that wastes your productive time | | | | short-run pleasure at the expense of long-term |
| and turns you into an inactive spectator, also known as | | | | malaise."(8) |
| the common "couch potato". Prolonged TV viewing is | | | | Dealing With Hard Times |
| strongly associated with increased rates of obesity | | | | We are currently in the grip of an economic downturn |
| and Type 2 Diabetes due to higher energy intake. This | | | | that has resulted in extended unemployment and more |
| is refl ected in the consumption of more calories | | | | idle time for many Americans. Vegging in front of the |
| consumed later in the day – from supper to | | | | TV can be a way to fill the time previously spent |
| bedtime snacks.(2) | | | | working. But while that may seem to be a natural turn |
| An Early Influence | | | | of events, I wanted to share this research with you to |
| It's obvious from the more than 4000 studies done on | | | | let you know that it is probably not the most |
| the effect of TV viewing on children, that the | | | | productive solution. |
| programming starts early in life. An entire TV market is | | | | Stay active, my friend. Visit with family and friends, |
| geared to the toddler crowd and it branches out into | | | | read the newspaper and other publications that |
| targeted shows for every age group after that. | | | | interest you. Limit TV viewing to your absolute favorite |
| Keeping in mind that 99% of American households | | | | shows that provide you with genuine recreation. And |
| have at least one TV – 66% have 3 or more – | | | | always remember - before you make any changes to |
| we must think in terms of balance.(3) | | | | your exercise, supplement or dietary program, please |
| I know that you are well aware of the outcome of | | | | consult your family doctor for personal guidance. |
| excessive TV viewing on children: the lack of physical | | | | Sources: |
| activity from playing outside; the time NOT spent in | | | | 1. Eberhart-Phillips, Jason, "Is Your Television Killing You |
| organized sports, music and art; the lack of time for | | | | Slowly?" Chronic Disease Control, Alaska Division of |
| reading and family dinners. But are you aware that | | | | Public Health, Nov 10, 2003 |
| these same effects can be seen in adults in later life? | | | | 2. Bowman, SA, "Television-viewing characteristics of |
| | | | | adults: correlations to eating practices and overweight |
| The Adult Scenario | | | | and health status", Preventive Chronic Disease, Vol 3: |
| Yes, we may bemoan the effect of TV and video | | | | No 2, Apr 2006 |
| games on our young ones, but recent studies show | | | | 3. Herr, Norman, "Television & Health, The Sourcebook |
| alarming trends in older adults as well. The relationship | | | | for Teaching Science", csun.edu/science/health |
| between TV viewing and overall health indicate that | | | | 4. Williams, DM, Raynor, HA, Ciccolo, JT, "A Review of |
| greater amounts of TV time definitely correlate with | | | | TV Viewing and Its Association With Health Outcomes |
| overweight, high cholesterol and blood pressure, type | | | | in Adults", American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, Vol |
| 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.(4) | | | | 2, No 3, 250-259 (2008) |
| In contrast, a study of women who watched less than | | | | 5. Bowman, SA, "Television-viewing characteristics of |
| 10 hours of TV per week and took a brisk 30 minute | | | | adults: correlations to eating practices and overweight |
| walk each day showed a 30% reduction in obesity | | | | and health status", Preventive Chronic |
| and a 43% less incidence of diabetes.(5) It is significant, | | | | Disease, Vol 3: No 2, Apr 2006 |
| too, that these same women limited their exposure to | | | | 6. Tickner, Neil, "Unhappy People Watch TV, Happy |
| all the junk food ads that regularly air on national TV! | | | | People Read/Socialize", University of Maryland, 2005 |
| The Happiness Factor | | | | 7. Tickner, Neil, "Unhappy People Watch TV, Happy |
| One of the most surprising studies I read on TV | | | | People Read/Socialize", University of Maryland, 2005 |
| viewing was done by sociologists at the University of | | | | 8. |
| Michigan and was published in the December 2008 | | | | |