Hitting the gym might not be a solution to keep deadly illnesses away as according to a study watching TV adds to your chances of getting the diseases despite of the amount of exercise you do.

Spending long hours in front of your TV can take you close to the risk of death from all causes, particularly cardiovascular deaths.

Dr. Alpa Patel, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society and colleagues stated that those who spent more time watching TV were more at risk of dying from all causes.

Australian studies have also proved this earlier. This year a study was conducted by Dunstan D.W. and colleagues from Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute that stated risk of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths was more when TV was watched too much due to predominant leisure-time sedentary behaviour.

About 8800 adults aged 25 and more were enrolled for the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, Lifestyle Study that was carried out for on average 6.6 years during which about 284 deaths from cardiovascular events and 125 deaths from cancer were reported.

About 11 per cent risk increased with every one hour of TV viewing every day and this risk was for all-cause mortality, the viewing also developed an 18 per cent increased risk for cardiovascular death and a 9 per cent increased risk for cancer death.

It was observed that 46 per cent risk was increased for those who spent more than four hours in front of the TV.