It’s hard to resist back-to-back episodes of Sanford and Son, but too many marathons of TV watching may shorten your life, especially if you endlessly channel surf every day.

Published in the journal Circulation, scientists found each hour spent sitting in front of the television raised a person’s risk of dying prematurely from heart disease.

For the study, experts tracked the lifestyle habits of 8,800 adults; such as smoking, diet, exercise, waist measurement, and high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Data showed every hour spent in front of the television was associated with an 11% higher risk of dying from all causes; 9% higher risk of cancer death; and an 18% increased risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.

And people watching more than four hours of TV each day had a 46% higher risk of death from all causes and an 80% higher risk of heart disease related death.

So if you take in a little too much boob-tube every day, you’ll be doing the Fred Sanford chest grab for real.

Via Reuters.

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