In a new look at the impact of long-time sitting behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death. One of the most surprising findings is that it isn’t just couch potatoes who were affected. Even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the long periods of time spent sitting still.
Australian researchers who tracked 8,800 people for an average of six years found that those who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular (心血管的) disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of TV.
Time spent in front of TVs and computers and videogames has come under fire in studies in recent years for contributing to a spread of obesity in the US and around the world. But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill (跑步机) or a soccer field.
The Australian study offers a different view. “It’s not the sweaty type of exercise we’re losing,” says David Dunstan, a researcher at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, who led the study. “It’s the incidental moving around, standing up and using muscles. That doesn’t happen when we are plunked on a couch in front of a television.”
Indeed, participants in the study reported getting between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise a day, on average.The results are supported by a new field of research that shows how long periods of inactivity can affect the body’s processing of fats and other substances that contribute to heart risk. And they suggest that people can help decrease such risk simply by avoiding extended periods of sitting.”
Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn’t require constant intense exercise, but consciously adding more routine movement to your life might help, doctors say. “Just standing is better than sitting,” says Gerard Fletcher, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., who works standing up at his computer. “When you stand up, you shuffle around a little bit and use muscles not required when you are sitting or lying down.”
Simple strategies for increasing activity include combining household chores such as folding laundry with TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control. The report, published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, focuses on TV watching in part because it is the main leisure-time activity in many countries, researchers said, especially in the US.
1. One misunderstanding people might have is that ________.| A．the radiation from TV may badly affect your sight |
| B．TV programs can broaden your horizons effectively |
| C．watching TV very long is a good way to kill time |
| D．regular exercise can minimize the side effect of watching TV |
| A．Remote control shouldn’t be used when people watch TV. |
| B．People who watch TV too long should take more physical exercise. |
| C．Sitting too long in front of TV will lead to high risk of heart attack. |
| D．Long-time sitting is bad for all people including those who exercise regularly. |
| A．By increasing simple movement. |
| B．By totally avoiding watching TV. |
| C．By taking some medicine. |
| D．By increasing sweaty type of exercise. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】If you are already making the time to exercise, it is good indeed! With such busy lives, it can be hard to try and find the time to work out.
Your productivity is improved. Exercising makes you more awake and ready to handle whatever is ahead of you for the day.
Your metabolism(新陈代谢) gets a head start.
There are a lot of benefits to working out, especially in the mornings. Set your alarm clock an hour early and push yourself to work out! You will feel energized all day long.
| A．You will stick to your diet. |
| B．Your quality of sleep improves. |
| C．You prefer healthy food to fast food. |
| D．There is no reason you should exercise in the morning. |
| E．You can keep your head clear for 4-10 hours after exercise. |
| F．After you exercise, you continue to burn calories throughout the day. |
| G．If you are planning to do exercise regularly, or you’re doing it now, then listen up! |
【推荐2】When Becca Cotugno ties her running shoes in the morning, she’s not alone. In her wake are eight students who have called themselves the “Speed Crew”.
Cotugno created the running program to share her passion with students at Alma del Mar Charter School in New Bedford, Massachusetts. With support from her school’s headmaster and executive director, Cotugno started the Speed Crew last fall. “I’ve read articles about how exercise is really good for kids with ADHD (注意缺陷障碍). I thought it’d be a great thing to bring to school,” she said, trying to convince them.
Every morning, eight kids put aside 30 minutes before class to get in their miles. After a short warm-up, Cotugno and her crew run 0.2-mile loops (圈) around the school, logging (行进) as many laps as they’d like. The students have learned that five laps can equal one mile and on Friday the group tallies up their weekly miles. Any student who runs more than five miles that week earns a medal. Cotugno says her race medals earned from over the years could “fill a house”, so she gives them away to the high-mileage students. Her parents, also runners, have contributed some of their medals, too.
Since the introduction of the program, Cotugno and her colleagues have seen marked improvements in behavior and academics of the Speed Crew members.
Research also supports the use of physical activity in children who struggle with being able to focus. A study published in Pediatrics found that children who exercised often had more white matter in their brains than children who were less fit. White matter is important when it comes to attention and memory.
In the future, Cotugno hopes she will be able to increase the size of the Speed Crew. Right now she’s the only adult involved with the program, which requires her to keep the club small. Along with growing membership at Alma del Mar Charter School, she hopes she can inspire other schools to adopt similar programs.
1. How did Cotugno win her school officials’ support for her program?| A．By citing published writings. |
| B．By presenting doctors’ advice. |
| C．By recalling her own experience. |
| D．By taking part in the program herself. |
| A．Matches up with. | B．Makes up for. |
| C．Adds up. | D．Sets up. |
| A．They have a wider range of interests. |
| B．They tend to be more focused in class. |
| C．They suffer memory problems more often. |
| D．They have less white matter in their brains. |
| A．It can have an adult member club. |
| B．It can include more group activities. |
| C．It can be expanded beyond her school. |
| D．It can obtain support from other schools. |
【推荐3】Extreme sports are appealing to more and more people.
Extreme sports can push you to your physical and mental limits. Individuals who regularly undertake activities such as jumping out of an airplane actually change the chemical makeup of their mind. When this happens,they become more capable of staying calm and centered during stressful situations.
Extreme sports task you with overcoming difficult physical challenges.
| A．Humans are social creatures by nature. |
| B．It is true that there are many advantages of extreme sports. |
| C．Most extreme sports help you have a good sense of balance. |
| D．We all do certain movements during the day to strengthen muscles. |
| E．In other words,extreme sports help you develop the ability to stay concentrated. |
| F．If you can complete these challenges,your rewards will be much more than physical ones. |
| G．Actually,activities such as mountain biking and snowboarding continue to attract more people every year. |
