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The Impact of Stressful TV Shows on Your Health: Are Thrilling Series Causing You Weight Gain and Sleep Issues?
Could your preferred, high-intensity television program be contributing to unwanted weight gain, sleep difficulties, and a sensation of chest tightness? Experts suggest that viewing anxiety-inducing shows and films before bedtime might trigger the body’s stress response, known as ‘fight or flight,’ potentially leading to an elevated heart rate and increased production of cortisol, the stress hormone, thus impacting overall well-being and potentially contributing to sleep problems, weight gain and stress.
How Intense TV Affects Your Body and Mind
Researchers indicate that engaging with intense or dramatic content can have a lasting effect on your emotional state and influence your reactions in real-life situations. Furthermore, individuals with a history of trauma may find that certain content triggers distressing memories, potentially leading to flashbacks or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dr. Thea Gallagher, a clinical psychologist and co-host of the Mind in View podcast, explained to Yahoo that such programs ‘could potentially activate unpleasant memories from the past. The content can also become persistently stuck in your thoughts.’
‘You might observe your heart rate accelerating or experience a sense of unease while watching particularly intense shows,’ Dr. Gallagher added.
The Cardiac Impact of Stressful Viewing
A study published in the AHA Journal in 2014 revealed that watching movies and shows featuring stressful scenes can induce changes in the heart’s rhythm and potentially harm individuals with pre-existing heart conditions.
Furthermore, stressful TV shows, true-crime documentaries, or intense films may also disrupt sleep patterns. These can overstimulate the brain, making it challenging to fall asleep and maintain restful sleep. Insufficient sleep quality is linked to various health issues, including obesity, cognitive decline, and mental health disorders.
Intense or dramatic shows can also have a lingering impact on your mood and can affect the way you approach situations in real life
Physiological Responses to Emotional TV Content
A team of researchers from University College London and King’s College London conducted a study where they showed emotionally stimulating video segments to 19 participants. They observed a rise in their respiratory rate by two breaths per minute, alongside a significant increase in blood pressure.
Dr. Ben Hanson, from UCL Mechanical Engineering and one of the researchers, stated, ‘Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of mental and emotional stress on cardiac health.’
‘This study marks the first instance where these effects have been directly measured. Although the results varied among individuals, we consistently noted changes in the cardiac muscle. For someone with a vulnerable cardiovascular system, or when experiencing more extreme stress, the consequences could be considerably more disruptive and dangerous.’
Over time, variable blood pressure forces the heart to exert more effort, potentially resulting in weakened heart muscle, thickening of the heart chambers, and ultimately, an elevated risk of heart attack and heart failure.
Mental Health Implications of Violent Content
Beyond the effects on heart health, violent television programs can also negatively influence mental health. TV shows and movies centered on somber subjects such as horror, tragedy, violence, and crime tend to activate a warning system in the brain’s hypothalamus—a region responsible for processing emotions and stress responses. This activation can trigger a surge of adrenaline and cortisol in the body.
While adrenaline accelerates the heart rate, leading to increased blood pressure for enhanced alertness, cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases blood sugar levels.
Pictured: Dr Paul Weigle, associate medical director of ambulatory programs at Natchaug Hospital
Consequently, the body remains in a stressed state. However, upon ceasing television viewing, both hormone levels typically return to normal, and the mind enters a calmer state.
Yet, as Dr. Gallagher explained, intense programming can activate negative recollections or remain persistently in conscious thought, thus maintaining the body in a state of ongoing stress.
Prolonged stimulation of the stress response system and excessive exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt numerous bodily processes. This disruption can manifest as anxiety, depression, muscle stiffness and discomfort, weight gain, and difficulties with memory and concentration.
Dr. Paul Weigle, associate medical director of ambulatory programs at Natchaug Hospital, mentioned to Hartford Healthcare, ‘Shows with uplifting content, like Parks and Rec or Ted Lasso, can improve our mood and better prepare us for sleep.’
‘Conversely, programs with disturbing or violent material can amplify feelings of stress and disrupt sleep.’
‘Watching portrayals of suicide on television and in the news has been shown to elevate the likelihood of viewers attempting suicide themselves.’
‘The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides specific guidelines for media depictions of suicide, but these are regrettably overlooked by some TV and news programs.’
He added, ‘In the month following the airing of 13 Reasons Why, the suicide rate among individuals aged 10 to 17 increased by nearly 30 percent.’
‘I provided care to a 12-year-old enthusiast of the show after a significant suicide attempt, who expressed that she perceived this as a typical way teenagers manage bullying.’