Well, This Is What I Think

Is Your TV Killing You?

We’re doomed, I tell you, doomed. I sincerely trust you are reading this on your iPad while bicycling on your new soopa-doopa exercise bike, ’cause according to researchers, every hour an adult spends watching TV shortens their life expectancy by almost 22 minutes.

Those glued to the box for six hours a day slice nearly five years off their lives compared to those who don’t watch TV.

Researchers from the University of Queensland said their study indicated that watching TV could have a similar impact on life expectancy to that of obesity, smoking and low physical activity.

The study was based on data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study, which began in 1999 and asked more than 11,000 people aged over 25 about their weekly TV viewing.

Those who watched the most TV – six hours a day – lived 4.8 years less than those who watched none.

The researchers noted: “With further corroborative evidence, a public health case could be made that adults also need to limit the time spent watching TV.”

Sadly, based on my consumption of StarTrek re-runs, my well-worn VHS cassette (remember them?) of Southampton FC beating Man United in the FA Cup Final in 1976,  and the number of times I have watched the box set of West Wing my daughter gave me for Christmas, I have sadly been officially deceased for about two and half years already.

Can’t wait for someone to add in the life-threat of stting at your computer blogging and writing all day. It is, of course, merely a matter of time before smart meters are installed at the entry node to people’s home entertainment systems that can be turned off automatically by a monitoring Government computer when the witless viewers have reached their prescribed daily dose of Lifestyle Channel.

You heard it here first. Be afraid.