A British doctor claims that one hour of watching TV is as harmful to health as smoking

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Consultant orthopedic and spinal surgeon George Ampat aims to highlight how dangerous a sedentary lifestyle can be for various aspects of health, including heart health and joints, blood pressure and cognitive abilities.

His research also shows that more than 60 percent of back surgeries can be avoided with exercise and a more active lifestyle.

Mr Ampat came to his conclusions after reviewing a number of studies. The director of the British Society for Lifestyle Medicine, who is also an honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool, will present his research to GPs, surgeons and other health professionals at Royal Liverpool University Hospital next month.

Its findings followed a surge in TV viewing and streaming due to restrictions. In its recent report, Ofcom found that families spent almost six hours a day on average watching channels, streaming services and online content last year.

Mr Ampat says that continued inactivity, and in particular “passive TV viewing” are harmful to both the brain and the body.

“We were created as hunter-gatherers. Sitting for long periods of time means we don't burn the food we eat, and this causes harm. It's even worse when we see violent or dramatic scenes that make up most of television. Such scenes lead to the secretion of fight-or-flight stress hormones, which cause a spike in glucose, which in turn causes inflammation, which is linked to chronic and potentially fatal problems such as heart disease and high blood pressure.” .

And sitting for one hour has the same burden on health as losing 11 minutes of life – the same as smoking one cigarette.