BINGE-EATING or eating excessively and over-indulging in food can cause weight gain and belly fat.
A new study in the US has shown that binge-eating coupled with watching television for long hours lead to excess fat being accumulated around the belly.
According to the study, for every hour and a half spent watching television, abdominal fat increases about three cubic centimetres.
The researchers looked at belly fat levels of six different sedentary behaviours to see which activity had an effect on abdominal fat levels.
The sedentary behaviours that were observed were:
• reading a book,
• using a computer,
• talking or texting on the phone,
• sitting in a car,
• doing paperwork, and
• watching television.
It was found that watching television was the only sedentary behaviour out of the six that was linked to belly fat.
What was even more shocking was that if the results of all the other sedentary behaviours were combined, watching television still topped in belly fat levels.
What’s more shocking is that the binge TV-watching habit even affects people who eat moderately and exercise regularly.
Abdominal or belly fat is a cause for concern because it is a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease.
So cutting down on television watching is crucial to stay healthy.
The study also outlined measures that television addicts can adhere to avoid accumulating stomach fat.
Among them are moving around during commercials or hopping on an exercise bicycle during the programmes.
Move around as much as possible and, more importantly, avoid snacking on junk food and other foodstuff when you are watching television.
It is the school holidays and some children have the habit of plonking themselves in front of the television all through the day.
Lack of a strict school-defined schedule means children will spend more sedentary time snacking in front of TV screens.
While parents are quite happy knowing that their children are in their homes in front of the television and not outside creating mischief, this inactivity can result in the children gaining excessive weight during the school holidays.
Parents need to monitor their children's television times and make sure that their children play outdoor games with other children.
Parents can also take their children to the playground or parks for nature walks or cycling. A sedentary lifestyle is the main cause of obesity among our children.
SAMUEL YESUIAH, Seremban