Roger Goodell is right, there is risk in sitting on the couch
Commissioner Roger Goodell talks about Play 60
In a recent article “Roger Goodell warns fans about risks of watching NFL” SB Nation writer Roger Sherman takes exception to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s recent statement that there’s risk in everything – including sitting on the couch.
While Goodell's statement may seem offensive, or insensitive, his actual statement is not really that far off the mark.
We are a nation of “couch potatoes” and whether we want to admit it or not, it’s a fact that sitting on the couch will kill you more often than a lifetime of collisions on the football field. If you think that’s absurd, then just do a simple Google search of couch potato and you will find these interesting titles: Inviting Heart Disease: The Couch Potato Connection, or Kid couch potatoes court long-term health risk, and how about this one: Failing To Get Off The Couch May Contribute To Heart Failure.
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 800,000 people every year! Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than all forms of cancer combined. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds. Every 60 seconds, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event.
The good news, according to researchers at the University of Heidelberg in Germany is that you don’t have to go to the gym, or even get strenuous exercise. Just get off the couch!
"Changing from a sedentary to a more physically active lifestyle, even in later adulthood, may strongly decrease coronary heart disease risk," said Dietrich Rothenbacher of the department of epidemiology of the German Centre for Research on Aging at the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany.
The National Institute of Health has a great research article entitled: Too Much Sitting: The Population-Health Science of Sedentary Behavior. In the Abstract to their findings they state “Even when adults meet physical activity guidelines, sitting for prolonged periods can compromise metabolic health. TV time and objective-measurement studies show deleterious associations, and breaking up sedentary time is beneficial. Sitting time, TV time, and time sitting in automobiles increase premature mortality risk.”
So, if you’re a sofa spud and you’re watching a lot of TV - including NFL games every Sunday, Monday and Thursday for 3 or 4 hours at a time, then Roger Goodell is right – you are at risk. My advice: Get up and cheer as often as possible during the game, do the wave with your friends, do an endzone dance if your team scores, do some dabbin' if it makes you move, and probably most importantly.......put down that second piece of chocolate cake!
Although I've been critical of the NFL on a number of issues, I have to give them credit for finally getting their asses off the couch and doing something to address the youth obesity problem in America. With their Play 60 Challenge they’re working with the American Heart Association and schools all across the U.S. to get kids off the couch….. and on to the field of play. They are also teaching young people about the importance of good nutrition with their “Fuel Up to Play 60".
The hope is that these programs will change a young person's behavior for the rest of their lives.
SB Nation writer Sherman Rogers concludes his article by humorously warning everyone that "From here on out, do NOT sit on couches. It is dangerous." He doesn't know how close to the truth that statement actually is for people that spend a lot of time in front of what my father always referred to as the the boob tube.
So, while you’re busy watching this year’s Super Bowl game from the comfort of your couch - while munching on all those delicious artery clogging foods - and you happen to find yourself worrying about the terrible things pro football players are doing to their bodies, take a moment to consider what you might be doing to yours.
