Sometimes it seems as though everything that's enjoyable in life is bad for your health, and television is no exception.
A number of studies have found links between watching television and premature death, and the more you watch, the more it reduces your lifespan.
It's been estimated that once you're over 25, every hour of television you watch reduces your life expectancy by close to 22 minutes.
But it isn't terrible scripts, bad acting or excruciating reality TV programs that are shaving years off our lives; it's what we do, or rather don't do, when we're zoning out in front of the box.
For most us, watching television means sprawling on the couch for extended periods. And extended inactivity is known to increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancers and premature death.
Physical activity researcher from Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute Dr Brigid Lynch says one reason sedentary behaviour has such a significant impact on your health is because you expend less energy when you're sitting or lying down than when you're on your feet, just standing or walking around.
"Over hours of the day, days of the week and weeks of the year that is all going to add up and contribute to weight gain and a shift in how much energy you are expending," she says.
But there's also evidence that when our muscles are idle, it slows down the release of enzymes that help to control the level of fats and sugars in your blood.
"When you are sitting down, particularly if you're sitting on the couch and really reclining, you're not actually engaging those [skeletal] muscle groups [in your core, legs and spine]. They are all relaxed.
"And we know that skeletal muscle plays a really important role in metabolic function. So even though you aren't running or using weights, those skeletal muscles play a really important role in glucose regulation and helping to regulate the lipid levels in our blood.