With TV shows like "Under the Dome," "The Blacklist," "Criminal Minds" and countless others relentlessly spewing out tales of child molestation, mutilation, torture, cannibalism and endless killing and destruction, it seems reasonable to suggest that watching such televised horrors kills off something in you, too (sensitivity, optimism, faith in humanity?).

But TV viewing can be even more destructive than that!

A recent study followed 13,000 adults for an average of eight years, and found that watching TV for three or more hours a day DOUBLES your risk of premature death, compared to folks who watch 60 minutes or less.

Are you at risk?

Keep track of your daily viewing for one week, and write down what you eat while you're watching TV (some folks find that 40 percent of daily calories come from snacks - even healthy ones can add excess calories and extra weight). And observe (your notepad is right there) your reaction to shows you watch. Feel stressed or anxious afterward? That could increase snacking during commercials, putting more strain on body and soul.

Here's how you can re-allocate your TV-viewing time.

Change your lifestyle channel to: a body-loving, mind-freeing walking routine (aiming for 10,000 steps a day); a clean-sweep, kitchen-relief plan that banishes the Five Food Felons from the house (no added sugars or syrups, eliminate all trans and almost all saturated fats, and any grain that isn't 100 percent whole); and a soul-reviving meditation or deep-breathing habit for 10-20 minutes daily. You'll have a younger RealAge and a better view of your future!

© 2014 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.