Turn off the telly, pick up a book

Choosing to read instead of watching TV or using the computer won’t just expand your mind—it could also keep your waist from expanding.

A new report from Statistics Canada concludes that the odds of obesity among men and women aged 20 to 64 who reported watching television 21 or more hours a week were almost double the odds for men and women who averaged five hours or fewer in front of the tube—regardless of their physical activity and dietary intake.

Likewise, those who used computers for at least six hours a week—during their spare time, not at work—were more likely to be obese than those who averaged five hours or less.

Reading, however, wasn’t associated with obesity—even though it’s a sedentary activity.

So, pick up a book, or better yet, a magazine. The summer issue of Best Health—featuring summer entertaining and healthy grilling tips from cookbook authors Bonnie Stern and Trish Magwood, the truth about parabens, a common cosmetic preservative, and a quiz to help you identify your libido type—is on newsstands now at Shoppers Drug Mart, Great Canadian News, Loblaws, Wal-Mart, London Drugs, Costco and Chapters/Indigo. It’s even easier to subscribe.