Sitting in front of the TV for as little as one hour a day can increase your risk of bowel cancer, a study has found.
Those who lazed in front of the TV for two hours a day or more had nearly a 70 per cent increased risk.
It’s the first time sedentary behaviour has been identified as a factor to explain the sharp rise in cases of bowel cancer among those under the age of 50.
International researchers said the findings stress the importance of keeping active, even though the associations were independent of a person’s weight or exercise level.
Source: Vanessa Chalmers Health Reporter For Mailonline
Watching TV for as little as one hour a day can increase young people’s risk of bowel cancer by up to 12 per cent, a study has found
The study, led by Dr Long Nguyen at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, analysed TV viewing times and other sedentary behaviours.
A total of 89,278 American women in the Nurses’ Health Study II were included. The female nurses were aged between 25 and 42 years at the beginning of the study in 1991.
There were 118 cases of young-onset colorectal cancer – including of the colon and rectum – diagnosed over the two decades of follow up.
More than one hour of sitting in front of the box was associated with a 12 per cent increase in risk compared to those who watched less.
