Football is everywhere and with the advancement of technology it is constantly available to its avid fans. However, excessive consumption of televised football not only encourages bad health habits… It can also affect the emotional side of your life such as relationships with loved ones.
Attending a game is slightly better for your health as you are getting fresh air and will be slightly active. However, not everyone can afford to attend games. A survey from BBC Sport has revealed that 82% of 18- to 24-year-old fans living in Britain said the cost of tickets was an obstacle to them going to more matches. With 55% of the fans polled also said they had stopped attending or go to fewer games as it’s expensive. This means more people will be sitting idly in a pub or at home watching the games. Thus not being active in the slightest.
Couch potato culture
Did you know that British men will watch a shocking 20,472 hours of sport at home in their lifetime? All from their sofa, the average man will spend over two years over his life watching his favourite clubs and athletes. The survey carried out by Walkers highlighted the most popular sport followed was football. With 48% of men claiming it is their favourite game. A constant stream of televised football is encouraging a sedentary lifestyle. There are many health risks to leading an inactive life such as back pain, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. So, ditch the football and head to the gym instead! If you are worried about the cost of the gym, we here at Incorpore have two fantastic schemes that offer discounted gym memberships. My Gym Discounts, a self-paid gym membership scheme, and GymFlex, a salary deductions scheme.
No Christmas joy
It appeared to be all work and no play over the Christmas period again this year for the football industry. There were 44 Premier League football games from Saturday 16th December 2017 to Monday 1st January 2018 including eight fixtures on Boxing Day. This also doesn’t include the championship league, league one or two, Welsh premier league, Scottish premiership, and many other leagues… The only break from it over Christmas was the 24th and 25th December!
I witnessed first-hand the impact too much football has had on the Christmas festivities. On Saturday 23rd December, watching the Arsenal vs. Liverpool football match in a pub I was shocked at the extent. It was around 8pm and it was packed, there were lots of Christmas parties, people celebrating Christmas and your regular pub-goers. The football began and the atmosphere in the pub became football focused. Only a small amount of people actually stayed in the pub. Understandably so, as it was a laddish boisterous culture with people glued to the television. The moment the game ended the television was turned off, the Christmas music came back on and the atmosphere changed. It was as if Christmas had finally arrived…
Promoting good behaviour
We constantly see the lavish lifestyles of footballers and even their partners in the media. However, considering they have a global audience we don’t see much encouragement towards their fans being healthier. If football players and clubs placed a stronger emphasis on doing physical activity rather than the games they play and people watching them. Then fans may be inspired to opt for healthier lifestyles.
Causes antisocial behaviour
A few people take football and the club they support very seriously to the point where it affects their mood. Some may feel depressed if their team loses or if their favourite player is injured… Therefore, putting them in a bad mood and leave them sulking. The sheer volume of televised football can disrupt your life and lead to outings being cancelled. Social interactions decrease when people give their attention to watching football on the television, which causes antisocial behaviour. You can easily get swept into the football madness but you should be careful to not lose track of everyone around you. Don’t shut yourself of from the world or neglect your loved ones.
Unhealthy eating and drinking
Football has always been a cause for unhealthy eating and drinking habits. Typical football food often consists of burgers, pies, chips and pizza. All of which are high in salt, fat, sugar, calories, preservatives and artificial ingredients. Eating those types of foods once a week wouldn’t do any harm! However, if it is a seven-day occurrence you will soon start to see health problems occur such as diabetes or cholesterol problems. Watching televised football leads to people making unhealthy choices. Have you ever seen someone down a glass of water and eat an apple whilst watching the footie? The answer is no, fast food and beer are the staples of the football diet. If you plan on following football games every day then try to drink lots of water! Along with eating healthier foods such as vegetables with hummus or fruit.
Too much football
You will be hard pressed nowadays to not find football on the television! Consequently interest in the sport is being damaged. There has begun to be a lack of appreciation for it and constant exposure is having a negative effect on the game. The exposure football receives has changed and the wide availability of it. This means that anyone with a television package, mobile phone or internet connection can access it. With so many clubs playing at the same time you have to pick and choose the team you want to watch. Although now with social media people have the results to the games at the tip of their fingers. It is a massive commitment watching all of the games now televised and it can begin to feel like a chore… Where is the enjoyment or fun in watching ten football games a day?
