Depression Linked to More Hours of TV and Less Exercise
There are an estimated 19 million people living with depression, in the United States. This means that 19 million people are having difficulty concentrating, are highly fatigued, are having feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness, are pessimistic, are suffering from insomnia, have a loss of interest in activity, are overeating or have a loss in appetite, or are having thoughts about suicide.
One of the most serious aspects of depression is that if it's untreated, it can worsen and last for many years. Depression can be tough to diagnose and about half of those who experience symptoms are never diagnosed and treated for the illness.
Older women that have gotten more exercise in their lifetime, and spent less time watching television, were less likely to be given a diagnosis of depression. Physical activity had the largest impact on the study done in the United States.
According to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, it was reported that females who exercised most in previous years are 20 percent less likely to become depressed than those who don't exercise. It was also found that the more time that was spent watching television each week raised the risk of depression.
Michael Lucas, study author from the Harvard School of Public Health, shared in a statement that superior levels of physical activity were connected with a lower risk of depression.
Spending more time being active can enhance self-esteem and a sense of control. The report incorporated roughly 50,000 women who filled out a survey every few years from 1992 - 2006. Each woman recorded the total time they spent watching television every week in 1992. They answered questions about how frequently they exercised from 1992 to 2000. The women also had to record any clinical depression diagnosis, or if they were taking any medication to treat depression.
In 1996, the analysis only incorporated women that did not suffer from depression. By 2006, there were 6,500 brand new instances of depression that were reported.
It was discovered that the women who watched television for three or more hours each day were 13 percent likelier to suffer from depression. It was also found that some of the women replaced valuable time they could have spent on exercise with watching television.
Gillian Mead of Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary shared in a statement that other studies have considered that physical activity and exercise are associated with a lower risk of depression symptoms.
In conclusion, the study showed that physical activity reduces depressive symptoms and replacing television time with exercise can increase those risks. If you live an active lifestyle, it is good to understand how important your health is and how it can ultimately affect your future.
