Glued to the Tube- Your Health

Television, believe it or not, has a huge effect on your health.  Obesity is often said to be one of the top negative health effects. Time spent sitting in front of the tube instead of exercising can take an obvious and noticeable toll on heavy viewers. This is just one negative health effect; subtle changes can occur in your brain along with those visible external changes.

Despite the fact that many of us are extremely busy, stressed, and deprived of sleep, we somehow manage to watch more television than ever. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re always short on time and why you never seem to accomplish what you’d like, the answer may very well be right in front of your eyes.

The average American watched a record breaking 151 hours per month of television during the fourth quarter of 2008. This amounts to approximately 35 hours per week which is almost the equivalent of a full time job.

Television and Your Brain
Neuroscientists have determined that the brain develops thinking habits from what we regularly experience. The more time you spend passively watching television and receiving sensory input in a relaxed, passive and semi-hypnotic state, the more your brain will be trained to receive information that way. Once the brain learns to respond to this method of getting information, the classroom environment becomes an unfamiliar way to learn, socializing and personal relationships become more difficult and creativity is impaired. TV is simply bad for the brain.

Negative health effects from television can be seen in the rise in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. The quick pace of television shows actually rewires the brain to accept information only in short chunks, thus reducing an individual’s attention span. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of two be kept away from television entirely. Older kids should watch no more than two hours of television per day.

An excess of passive brain activity from television watching can also affect sleeping patterns. In adults, memory loss and poor sleep have been attributed to habitual television watching.

Your brain produces endorphins when you watch television, which have a relaxing and pleasant effect. This leads to withdrawal when television is removed. Help the brain develop normally by reducing or eliminating mindless and excessive television viewing. Replace the time with interactive and creative activities, such as games, hobbies and physical activity.

Television and Your Body

Hours spent watching television reduce the time you can spend on physical activities. Physical activity is vital for health, blood circulation, muscle development and metabolism. None of these are stimulated by passive television watching. Sitting passively instead of engaging in physical activity leads to lower metabolism and could lead to unhealthy weight gain. In addition, commercials and product placements on television promote junk food, which further increases the problem.

Life Is Short

I’m sure you’ve noticed that as you’ve gotten older, time has seemed to go by faster. Most people watch television for pure entertainment, and by doing so, they’re sacrificing precious time to live through the experiences of others. In most cases, these experiences are either stressful, completely worthless, or influential in a harmful way. This is especially the case with reality television which is often centered around people who create drama with everything they do. Unfortunately, it seems that many of us enjoy watching others encounter problems, perhaps because it makes us feel better about ourselves.

The only thing stopping you from living a more balanced, enjoyable, and exciting life is yourself, and sitting in front of a television for 35 hours per week is certainly not going to help. Imagine if you dedicated some of this time to reading more, exercising, preparing healthy food, and getting more sleep. After a few months, you’d likely feel invigorated with new knowledge, better health, more energy, increased mental clarity, a leaner and more muscular body, and an improved sense of overall wellness. You definitely won’t experience any of these benefits from watching television.

An Unrecognized Source of Stress

Anything that causes you to be excited, fearful, nervous, anxious, or worried is a source of stress that imposes a physiological burden on your body. Although few people realize it, the intense television programming that is so common today can easily invoke these negative emotions and add to the high load of stress that most people are already dealing with.

Watching the news can especially be a considerable source of stress. While it’s highly doubtful that stories of murder, rape, and the bad economy will add any value to your life, it’s very likely that they’ll invoke some unnecessary negative emotions. The news is always full of sensationalized drama that’s sure to affect your mood. You’ll likely find out about all of the important stories that you need to without watching the news.

The Power of Persuasion

Although you might think that you don’t pay much attention to television commercials and that they have no influence on you, you’re most likely mistaken. If this were the case, companies wouldn’t be spending enormous amounts of money on them. Most commercials are intentionally designed to inspire a strong desire or a perceived need for the product or service being advertised. Regardless of how effective the product or service actually is, it’s in the best interest of these companies to have you believe that it’s the best solution to your problems, and there’s a good chance that you will.

Drug and food companies run many of the commercials that you see, and unfortunately, they often promote the shortsighted symptom chasing mentality that’s such a significant factor in the development of today’s most serious health problems. It’s also common for misleading information to make it’s way into regular programming.

Although television is a convenient source of entertainment, it’s usually mindless, provides little to no meaningful value, and can sometimes be a harmful influence. Minimize the amount of TV you watch to improve your health and quality of life.