Do you suspect that spending hours in front of the TV every day does nothing good for your brain? A new study suggests that belief may be well-founded.
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Researchers found that people who reported watching more television in midlife had, decades later, smaller volumes in brain regions associated with language and thinking. By contrast, sitting while working was linked to better brain health indicators.
How should people interpret these findings? And does this mean it's time to turn off the TV for good? CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University who previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner, answers these questions.
She notes that it's important to understand precisely what the researchers measured and what conclusions can actually be drawn from the results.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 1,700 participants in a long-running study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Participants, who were middle-aged, reported how often they watched television and how much time they spent sitting at work over the previous year. This interesting finding suggests that not all sedentary activities are alike.
Watching TV is a cognitively passive activity, since viewers are primarily receiving information rather than actively processing and engaging with it.
Sitting at work, on the other hand, often involves very different mental demands, such as responding to emails, working on projects, or interacting with colleagues. These activities engage multiple brain networks even while you're seated.
The study doesn't prove that mentally stimulating activities protect the brain, but the findings align with a growing body of research suggesting that cognitive engagement helps reduce the risk of dementia. Earlier studies have also found differences between passive, idle behaviors like watching TV and more mentally stimulating activities, such as solving puzzles and mental engagement at work.
Dr. Leana Wen points out that this is an observational study, meaning it can identify associations but cannot prove causation.
It's possible that people who watched more TV differed from those who watched less in ways the researchers couldn't fully account for, even though they did make statistical adjustments for numerous factors, including age, education, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, high blood pressure, and body mass index.
It's also possible that subtle changes in brain health influenced people's habits years before the MRI scans were conducted, meaning people who already had changes in brain tissue may have been more inclined to spend their days watching TV compared to participants who didn't show such changes.
Dr. Wen notes that watching a sporting event, following a favorite show, or going to the movies can be enjoyable and relaxing activities that also help us connect with friends, which is beneficial for our health on many levels.
In her view, the key takeaway is to think about how much time we spend on passive, screen-based activities, and about what activities could replace them.
If many hours of watching TV or scrolling social media come at the expense of exercise, face-to-face social interaction, reading, or other mentally stimulating activities, that's not ideal for brain health.
It's also always good to avoid sitting for long, uninterrupted stretches, getting up now and then to stretch and walk a little.
Regular physical activity is one of the most powerful interventions supported by research. The same goes for managing blood pressure, treating chronic conditions like diabetes, avoiding smoking, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Following a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and healthy fats, has also been linked to better brain health.
It's also essential to maintain social connections, as well as to treat hearing loss and depression and other factors that might keep people from spending time with loved ones.
No single activity can guarantee protection against dementia, but the combination of choices we make in our daily lives, including how we spend our free time, can have a cumulative effect over the decades.
