Couch Potato Syndrome

The Couch Potato Syndrome is term used for defining the compulsive habit of leading a sedentary lifestyle. This term is often used for people who spend most of their waking hours watching TV or generally doing nothing constructive. More and more people are turning into couch potatoes, which is one of the predominant reasons behind the increased ratio of obesity.

Socializing has taken a web oriented approach, making it unnecessary to actually step out of your houses, in order to interact with your friends or clients. A simple chat via the Internet or cell phone ensures that you do not need to leave your home.

The Couch Potato Syndrome can lead to a multitude of health problems, such as greater chances of obesity and cellulite formation, increased risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are bound to cause heart diseases such as angina, hypertension and a heart attack. The continued lack of exercise and excessive eating increases the risk of developing diabetes.

All these symptoms shall eventually lead to weakness in the limbs and muscles, potentially resulting in deadly blood clots.

A constant and daily routine of leading a sedentary lifestyle can even drastically affect an individual's memory and attention span. People have been reported to become increasingly disoriented and lacking in concentration, after having spent days on end doing absolutely nothing. These people can forget minute facts and instructions[1]. In the end, these patients often refrain from dressing themselves during daytime, because why dress if your pyjama is quite comfy.

[1] Pontiflex et al: Poorer aerobic fitness relates to reduced integrity of multiple memory systems in Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience - 2014