TOO much television viewing makes you not only dull but also obese, according to a Canadian study.

The study, 'Sedentary Behaviour and Obesity', has found a strong link between the number of hours spent watching television and the likelihood of being obese.

Based on the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey involving 42,600 men and women aged 20 to 64, the study found that more time spent watching television increased obesity among both sexes.

"The factors taken into account were: age, marital status, education, household income, immigrant status and urban-rural residence.

We found, that the odds of obesity among men and women, who reported watching television 21 or more hours a week were almost twice the odds for men and women who averaged five hours or fewer in front of the tube,' Statistics Canada said, quoting the study.