Generous portions of TV make women fat

The first study to compare the effects of inactivity on obesity and diabetes concludes that being a couch potato significantly raises the risk of both diseases. "Our data provide strong evidence that sedentary behaviors, especially prolonged TV watching, are directly related to the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes," reports Frank Hu, leader of a team from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Harvard Medical School that did the research. "In contrast, even light to moderate activity, such as walking and housework, substantially lowers the risk." Previous studies have shown that children who watch too much TV gain too much weight. A different Harvard investigation, called the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, found a positive link between heavy TV viewing and type 2 diabetes.