Listening to radio healthier than watching TV

Sunday, July 03, 2011 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: radio, health, health news

(NaturalNews) Sitting in front of the television for hours on end is not healthy. Listening to the radio is a better alternative.

According to new British research, time spent listening to the radio makes people happier and gives them higher energy levels overall compared to television viewing and surfing the Internet.

In a survey of 1,000 Britons, a study called, "Media and the Mood of the Nation," respondents reported a 100 percent lift in spirits and a 300 boost in levels of happiness when listening to radio programs compared to all other media.

And while TV and Internet also lifted moods, those activities didn't come close to radio's positive mental effects.

"People are the happiest and most energetic when listening to radio. It plays an important emotional role in people's lives," Mark Barber, planning director at the Radio Advertising Bureau, which commissioned the research, told Britain's Telegraph newspaper.

"People use radio as a lifestyle support system and to make themselves feel better about their lives... Our latest research highlights the immense potential of radio to influence emotions," he said.

Lots of previous research has shown that watching TV can be hazardous to your mental health.

For example, a 2009 Princeton University study found that too much television causes aggressive behavior in children, especially children who are exposed to an excessive amount early in life. The study concluded that too much TV contributed to social and behavioral problems later in life.

Another study found that children who eat in front of the television tend to take in more calories, which, of course, adds more to their waistlines.

In that study, researchers found that kids who ate in front of the TV consumed, on average, 228 calories more than kids who didn't. And those calories add up over time, as other research has found that childhood obesity is at epidemic levels indicate.

Still another study found that excessive television viewing by teens increased their risk of depression. Throw in too much X-box 360 and the risk is even higher.

The fact is, getting off the couch and doing something more productive with your time will keep you healthier and happier. Just imagine how much better you would feel walking, jogging, biking or working out while listening to the radio or an iPod. What a concept.