Binge watching TV shows is bad for your health

• Binge-watching may seem like a harmless addiction but it can be really bad for our health.
• People who binge-watched had significantly less lower-body muscle strength compared to their more active peers.

Have you been spending most of your free time binge-watching your favorite shows on Netflix?

While this seemingly harmless habit or addiction is becoming a popular means of fighting off stress these days, several studies have shown that binge watching can be really bad for our health.

Based on a 2015 study of researchers from the University of Texas, binge-watching has been associated with lack of self-control.

“Even though some people argue that binge-watching is a harmless addiction, findings from our study suggest that binge-watching should no longer be viewed this way,” explained Yoon Hi Sung, one of the authors of the study.

“Physical fatigue and problems such as obesity and other health problems are related to binge-watching and they are a cause for concern,” he added.

Meanwhile, a more recent study carried out by a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland claimed that the amount of time an older person spends on the couch each week could affect physical function in later years.

After examining the viewing habits of 2000 adults aged 4y to 85 years for 12 years, researcher Natasha Reid discovered that people who watched high levels of TV had significantly less lower-body muscle strength compared to their more active peers.

Reid believes that these results have the potential to worsen because streaming sites like Netflix and Stand weren’t existing when the data was gathered.

She explained: “There’s definitely evidence to say that we really do need to be reducing and interrupting how long we’re sitting. Even if you don’t change how much you’re sitting overall, doing it in smaller bouts will be better for you.”