MUMBAI: Scientists have warned that watching too much television will shorten life span by 4.8 years. The researchers from University of Queensland have said that every time an individual spends at least one hour in front of the television set, their life expectancy reduces by 22 minutes.

The study which is to be published in British Journal of Sports Medicine is based on the data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. It is based on an average six hours viewing per day, compared to a person who watches no television.

The study said that TV viewing time may affect the health of a person because of the lack of physical activity, obesity and smoking.

Further study is required to confirm this, and to specify the link of TV viewing time with mortality.

Also, the Australian and US guidelines for children recommend no more than two hours of screen time/day. With further corroborative evidence, a public health case could be made that adults also need to limit the time spent watching TV, the report said.

Though the researchers used Australian data, the effects in other industrialised and developing countries are likely to be comparable, given the large amounts of time spent watching TV and similarities in disease patterns.