How Does Television Affect Our Health? from Turgut Can's blog

​Not when you watch TV too close. Until the late 1960s, TV sets using cathode ray tubes emitted very low levels of ultraviolet radiation, and TV viewers were advised not to watch TV from closer than 2 meters.

Children were the most at risk. Since children's eyes can easily adapt to changes in distance, children can watch TV from much closer than adults.

About 40 years ago, the Convention on Radiation Control for Health and Safety made TVs completely safe by requiring manufacturers to use leaded glass for cathode ray tubes.

The real harm of TV comes from the lazy lifestyle it creates

Recent studies have shown that the obesity rate in children is increasing, and that this is directly related to watching TV. According to studies, the time children spend in front of the TV is much more than the time they spend doing sports or doing outdoor activities.

A 2004 study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children who watch 2-3 hours of television per day are 30 percent more likely to develop Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) than children who do not.

In 2005, the Nielsen research company found that the average American family watches 8 hours of television per day. This is a 12.5 percent increase from a decade ago and the highest rate since television viewing statistics were first compiled in the 1950s.

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that by the age of 70, an American will have spent an average of 8 full years watching television