Watching five hours of TV per day almost doubles the risk of dementia.
People who are glued to the TV are more likely to get dementia
A study has found that people who spend several hours each day in front of the box had a 44 per cent greater risk of developing the brain condition.
Analysis of more than 400,000 people, aged 37 to 73, from the UK Biobank project also found that more hours of TV watching is linked to an increased risk of stroke and Parkinson's disease.
The team from Tianjin Medical University in China discovered that over five hours of TV is associated with less grey matter and smaller memory centres - which are both connected to brain diseases.
However, no increased risk was found for time spent glued to computers because the use of the devices are associated with more "mentally challenging behaviour".
In response to the findings, Cambridge University neurology expert James Rowe said: "A couple of hours did not increase the risk. So, enjoy your favourite TV, then go and do something else."