Is binge-watching bad for your health?

Have you ever set aside an entire day and dedicated it to watching multiple episodes of your favorite TV show?

With the availability of DVD packages that contain entire seasons of shows and online streaming services, it's becoming more common.

Is binge-watching harmless?

A recent study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin found that the lonelier, more depressed you are, the more likely you are to binge-watch. 

They also found that people who suffer from a self-regulation deficiency are more likely to binge-watch more often -- viewers who, even though they had tasks to accomplish, were unable to stop clicking "next" when the time came to decide whether to watch another episode.

One of the co-authors of the study Yoon Hi Sung had this to say about binge-watching...

"Even though some people argue that binge-watching is a harmless addiction, findings from our study suggest that binge-watching should no longer be viewed this way.  Physical fatigue and problems such as obesity and other health problems are related to binge-watching and they are a cause for concern. When binge-watching becomes rampant, viewers may start to neglect their work and their relationships with others. Even though people know they should not, they have difficulty resisting the desire to watch episodes continuously. Our research is a step toward exploring binge-watching as an important media and social phenomenon."