Background Television viewing time, the predominant leisure-time sedentary behavior, is associated with biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk, but its relationship with mortality has not been studied. We examined the associations of prolonged television viewing time with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and non-CVD/noncancer mortality in Australian adults.

Methods and Results Television viewing time in relation to subsequent all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality (median follow-up, 6.6 years) was examined among 8800 adult >=25 years of age in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab). During 58 087 person-years of follow-up, there were 284 deaths (87 CVD deaths, 125 cancer deaths). After adjustment for age, sex, waist circumference, and exercise, the hazard ratios for each 1-hour increment in television viewing time per day were 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 1.20) for all-cause mortality, 1.18 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.35) for CVD mortality, and 1.09 (95% CI, 0.96 to 1.23) for cancer mortality. Compared with a television viewing time o2 h/d, the fully adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were 1.13 (95% CI, 0.87 to 1.36) for >=2 to <4 h/d and 1.46 (95% CI, 1.04 to 2.05) for >= 4 h/d. For CVD mortality, corresponding hazard ratios were 1.19 (95% CI, 0.72 to 1.99) and 1.80 (95% CI, 1.00 to 3.25). The associations with both cancer mortality and non-CVD/noncancer mortality were not significant.

Conclusions Television viewing time was associated with increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. In addition to the promotion of exercise, chronic disease prevention strategies could focus on reducing sitting time, particularly prolonged television viewing. (Circulation. 2010;121:384-391.)

Zur allgemeinen Entwarnung sei hier noch erwähnt, dass es sich hierbei um eine Korrelationsstudie handelt, ein kausaler Zusammenhang ist zwar nicht aus zu schliessen, kann aber selbstverständlich nicht bestätigt werden. Interessant ist wieder mal zu sehen, wie lange die Leute vor dem Fernseher sitzen: 0 h/d, 2442; =>1 h/d, 2528; =>2 h/d, 2138; =>3 h/d, 1020; =>4 h/d, 407; =>5 h/d, 155; and =>6 h/d, 108. (n=8800). 43.5% der Leute sitzen also tatsächlich mehr als 3 Stunden vor der Glotze.

Dass Fernsehen,  insbesondere das Schweizer Fernsehen,  auf Dauer krank macht ist durchaus plausibel. Bleibt noch zu untersuchen wie sich das Internet und die Benutzung des Computers auf die Gesundheit auswirkt. Trotzdem danke ich dem geeigneten Leser seine Gesundheit für das Lesen dieses Beitrags geopfert zu haben.