There is a direct relationship between the amount of TV people watch and how physically inactive they are, a new study shows. The study monitored low-income residents in Boston, two-thirds of whom were overweight or obese. Participants used pedometers that documented inactivity associated with time spent watching TV. Physical inactivity contributes to weight problems that can lead to heart disease.

On average, participants watched over three-and-a-half hours of TV a day -- which equated to 520 fewer steps walked a day. Some participants watched over 14 hours of TV on weekdays and 19 hours on weekends -- with every hour spent in front of the TV associated with 144 fewer steps walked. Inadequate maintenance of low-income neighborhood parks and the danger of street crime are two big fear factors in keeping the participants -- mainly African-American and Hispanic women -- at home in front of the TV, report Harvard researchers.

Inadequate sleep has been found to contribute to increased stress levels, which effect heart condition. Recently, a study from the University of Florida found that lack of sleep can create job dissatisfaction, especially in women.

Women frequently lose sleep because of stress, and reported a higher level of fatigue, hostility and difficulty concentrating than their male co-workers. One of the possible causes may be the difference in expectation and treatment of female workers -- as they are encouraged to express themselves emotionally, while men are conditioned to restrain their emotional reactions, researchers theorize. Employer demands, such as the rise in task requirement and time spent at work also contributes greatly to stress.

Recent studies on the effects of work stress on women have also shown that it causes coping behaviors such as eating unhealthy food and smoking, both of which contribute greatly to the development of heart disease. Perhaps if women got adequate amounts of sleep, they wouldn't stress as much at work, causing them to participate in unhealthy behaviors which lead to heart problems. For tips on how to develop better sleep patterns, click here.