The hidden dangers of a TV dinner and binge-watching

There’s nothing better than settling down with something tasty in front of the telly, but research shows it could do more harm than you think

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Everyone loves to get stuck into a good series. And, with on-demand shows and various streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, there’s plenty of choice to keep you entertained for hours on end.

But Kiran Jones, clinical pharmacist and weight-loss expert at Oxford Online Pharmacy, says there are real dangers that come with eating while binge-watching.

“Several studies suggest an unhealthy link between watching TV and having an unhealthy relationship with food. One recently identified that adolescents who ate more than once a week while watching TV were more likely to prefer fast food, salty snacks and soft drinks, and were more likely to be obese,” she says.

“That’s because, say experts, we’re more likely to feel hungrier when watching TV, as our pupils become more constricted by blue light, impairing the parasympathetic nervous system, so the body keeps producing ghrelin (the hunger hormone), which makes us feel more hungry and makes us snack more.”