Are You a Couch Potato?

"Couch Potatoes Endanger Their Lives, Australian Study"

If you think vegging out in front of the tube after a stressful day is the best way to unwind, you may want to think again.

A study by the Australian Science Media Centre followed 8,800 adults over a six-year period and found that people who watched four hours or more television per day — as compared to less than two hours — had an 80 percent higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. The findings were independent of traditional risk factors such as smoking or obesity.

The study says watching the television itself is not the problem, but rather sitting while you watch.

To combat these effects, researchers suggest not only regular exercise, but also to stand up and "get moving" during any prolonged period — be it in front of your television, computer, at work or during transport.
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The Q&A session with the researchers can be found HERE. The journal Circulation will have the published article up shortly.

What do you think of the study?