Every two additional hours of daily TV increases the risk of diabetes by 20%. The risk of heart disease also increases by 15% and the risk of dying by 13% with every additional two hours of daily TV, according to a meta-analysis published in the June 15 issue of JAMA. The authors reviewed eight studies that tracked more than 200,000 people for an average of 8.5 years in studies of TV viewing and diabetes, 10.4 years in studies of TV viewing and cardiovascular disease, and 6.8 years in studies of TV viewing and all-cause mortality. The researchers also estimated that cutting back on the average daily TV viewing in the United States by two hours could prevent 176 new cases of diabetes, 38 new cases of fatal heart disease, and 104 premature deaths per 100,000 people yearly. People in the United States watch TV for an average of five hours each day, compared with Europeans and Australians, who watch 3.5 to 4 hours daily.