Television viewing in teens is linked to adult depression. Lack of sunlight and vitamin D may be the reason.

Television viewing in teens is linked to adult depression. Lack of sunlight and vitamin D may be the reason.

An interesting study from the University of Pittsburgh has found that the more TV teenagers watch, the more likely they are to be depressed as adults.[1] The study author theorized that because there is so much depressing news and programming on TV, the more exposure, the more the internalizing or the depressing programming. For each hour of TV watched, the rate of depression increased significantly.

The researchers may be correct, or it could be that hours of sedentary life in front of the TV, watching commercials for junk food, leads to obesity and poor health as the teenager’s age. I have another theory that may supplant, or at least add to those theories. In an earlier post, I discussed the dramatically increased rate of depression among people who were vitamin D deficient.[2] Vitamin D is absolutely critical for the central nervous system (CNS) to function at optimal levels; it is possible that years of unnatural indoor habits create vitamin D deficiency, which damages the CNS, and—combined with the previously mentioned deleterious influences of excessive TV watching, result in depression. Sunlight and vitamin D are absolutely necessary for human health and happiness. An indoor lifestyle is unnatural and damaging to the human body and psyche.

Get away from the TV, video game and other sedentary, sunless activity and get outdoors. And, stop eating toxic foods. You will be glad you did!

[1] Primack, B. Association between media use in adolescence and depression in young adulthood: a longitudinal study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Feb;66(2):181-8
[2] http://drsorenson.blogspot.com/2009/01/vitamin-d-and-depression-how-sad.html