New! – Binge-Watching TV Circulation Warnings

Is binge-watching box sets bad for our health?

Binge-watching TV box sets is more popular than ever, as new statistics have revealed.

• More than half of UK adults binge-watch back to back episodes at least once a month
• Over 10 million Brits admit losing sleep due to being engrossed in TV

New! Magazine investigated the health consequences of binge-watching TV.

The feature invited Dr Ross Perry, Medical Director of Cosmedics Skin Clinics, to give his professional opinion on the health risks associated with excessive TV.

Dr Ross Perry

Dr Ross Perry regularly provides expert comment and advises the media on a range of skincare and health-related issues.

He has particular expertise in skin surgery mole removal, sun damage and melanoma; having removed thousands of moles in his career, both within the NHS and privately through Cosmedics Skin Clinics.

Binge Watching Health Risks

Dr Ross explained two of the key risks:

Bingeing and Ballooning

“Sitting on the sofa for hours at a time leaves less opportunity for physical activity.”

“Also, while watching, we tend to indulge in treats such as crisps, cakes or sweets and sugary or alcoholic drinks.”

“Doing less and consuming more means that the body is not able to use the extra calories, so over time, the result will be weight gain.”

“Exercise helps to keep heart, bones and muscles strong.  It also reduces the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.  So it is really important to have an active lifestyle.”

Posture Problems

“Staying on the sofa for too long encourages bad posture.

“Slumping exerts the maximum amount of pressure on spinal discs and also stretches muscles, nerves and ligaments, causing back pain.

“Office workers are warned against staying in the same position for hours on end and experts advise 5-10 minutes of activity an hour.  The same advice applies to those watching a lot of TV.  Stand up and move around every so often, to stretch the muscles a bit.

Circulation Breakdown

The feature also highlighted the potentially fatal consequences for the venous system, as being stationary can allow blood clots to develop, as blood pools instead of being pumped round back to the heart; particularly in the lower leg.

The New! article explains:

“…a Japanese Study from last year found every additional two hours sat in front of the TV each day increased the risk of fatal pulmonary embolism by 40 per cent. And the risk of clotting is heightened if you’re a smoker or on the pill. So it’s vital to move your legs regularly to increase circulation and reduce the risk of clots.”

The study referred to was published in the American Heart Association journal ‘Circulation’ and showed that deaths from a pulmonary embolism were 2.5 times greater among those who watched TV 5 or more hours, compared to participants who watched TV less than 2.5 hours each day.

Varicose & Thread Vein Treatment

Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer private treatment for thread veins  and varicose veins at their London Vein Treatment Centre. They also offer varicose vein ultrasound scanning for proper diagnosis of any ‘underlying’ vein problems.

Their London Vein Treatment Centre offers EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) laser varicose vein removal with a vascular surgeon with prices starting at £1,650 per leg (1 vein).

They also offer foam sclerotherapy and micro surgery in order to provide a tailor-made service with the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

Thread veins can be treated with sclerotherapy injections, micro cautery laser or Nd:Yag laser.

For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.