COUCH potatoes are a third more likely to develop deadly blood clots, a study has found.
Binge-watching TV for four hours or more increases the risk by 35 per cent — even for fit and healthy people.
When people sit still, blood collects in the limbs.
Dr Setor Kunutsor, of the University of Bristol, explained: “When you sit in a cramped position for long periods, blood pools in your extremities rather than circulating — and this can cause blood clots.
"If you are going to binge on TV, you need to take breaks — stand and stretch every 30 minutes or use a stationary bike.
“And avoid combining TV with unhealthy snacking. If you sit a lot in your daily life — like sitting for hours at a computer — be sure to get up and move around from time to time.”
He added: “Prolonged TV viewing involves immobilisation which is a risk factor for clots.”
Boffins looked at rates of clots in 131,000 over-40s.
They found the clotting risk increased regardless of someone’s age, weight or physical fitness.
One in four Brits dies from clot-related conditions such as heart attacks or strokes.
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