Hillary's Charities Will Refile 5 Years Of Taxes - after failing to report “tens of millions” from foreign governments -

Hillary's Charities Will Refile 5 Years Of Taxes - after failing to report “tens of millions” from foreign governments - 

Once upon a time, when then-NY Fed chief Tim Geithner was angling for a Senate confirmation which would make him Treasury Secretary, things got a bit tense when it was discovered that Geithner failed to pay Medicare and Social Security taxes on the income he earned while working for the IMF from 2001-2004. Basically, Geithner was classified as “self employed” and was thus responsible for making the payments himself but didn’t do so, which led to some $17,000 in unpaid taxes in 2003 and 2004. Geithner had previously paid more than $20,000 in back taxes to make up for missed payments in 2001 and 2002, so one might have thought he would check on 2003 and 2004 as well, but apparently some accountant somewhere screwed up — or so the story goes. 

In any event, it now appears as though Hillary Clinton may be witnessing her “Geithner moment,” because as Reuters reports, several Clinton family charities will now refile a half decade worth of returns after failing to report “tens of millions” in contributions from foreign governments. Here’s more:

Hillary Clinton's family's charities are refiling at least five annual tax returns after a Reuters review found errors in how they reported donations from governments, and said they may audit other Clinton Foundation returns in case of other errors...

The charities' errors generally take the form of under-reporting or over-reporting, by millions of dollars, donations from foreign governments, or in other instances omitting to break out government donations entirely when reporting revenue, the charities confirmed to Reuters…

The unsettled numbers on the tax returns are not evidence of wrongdoing but tend to undermine the 990s role as a form of public accountability, experts in charity law and transparency advocates interview told Reuters…

For three years in a row beginning in 2010, the Clinton Foundation reported to the IRS that it received zero in funds from foreign and U.S. governments, a dramatic fall-off from the tens of millions of dollars in foreign government contributions reported in preceding years.

Those entries were errors, according to the foundation: several foreign governments continued to give tens of millions of dollars toward the foundation's work on climate change and economic development through this three-year period. Those governments were identified on the foundation's annually updated donor list, along with broad indications of how much each had cumulatively given since they began donating.
And while the Clinton Foundation says it is exemplary among charities in terms of transparency, that contention will likely be put to the test as scrutiny will no doubt build as Hillary Clinton ramps up her bid for The White House. Perhaps that’s why the Foundation isn’t ruling out the possibility that it will refile up to 15 years worth of returns:

"We are prioritizing an external review to ensure the accuracy of the 990s from 2010, 2011 and 2012 and expect to refile when the review is completed," Craig Minassian, a foundation spokesman, said in an email.

The decision to review the returns was made last month following inquiries from Reuters, and the foundation has not ruled out extending the review to tax returns extending back 15 or so years…
And as for whether this is something that actually happens all of the time or should be rightfully viewed as an anomalous event:

"I've never seen amendment activity like that," said Bruce Hopkins, a Kansas City lawyer who has specialized in charity law for more than four decades.”

Read more - 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-23/hillarys-charities-suffer-geithner-moment-will-refile-5-years-taxes

Dog 'drives tractor' onto highway... -

Dog 'drives tractor' onto highway...  - 

Delays were caused on a busy stretch of the M74 motorway after reports of a dog "taking control of a tractor".
The incident - highlighted on Twitter by Traffic Scotland - took place at J13 at Abington, South Lanarkshire.
It later emerged that a sheepdog called Don, owned by farmer Tom Hamilton, had leaned on the controls of his utility vehicle, taking it on to the road.
Police and Mr Hamilton later recovered Don, who was unhurt, and the vehicle, from the central reservation.
Mr Hamilton told BBC Scotland that he was out on his off road pick up checking lambs in a field above the M74 near Abington.
Farmer relieved
As always he was accompanied by his Collie sheepdog Don, who was sitting beside him in the passenger seat.
Don the sheepdog
Don escaped with little more than a fright
While Mr Hamilton was examining a lamb he turned round to see the Gator utility vehicle crashing through the fence and heading down an embankment on to the northbound lane of the M74 with Don still sitting in it.
The vehicle stopped after hitting the central barrier, smashing the windscreen.
Mr Hamilton said he feared that he had not pulled the handbrake properly and was extremely relieved that no drivers were hurt.
The farmer was also relieved that Don escaped with little more than a fright.
The episode caused a stir on social media when it was reported by Traffic Scotland at about 08:45 on Wednesday.
Dog puns
The transport body tweeted: "M74 (N) J13-RTC due to dog taking control of tractor... nope, not joking. Farmer and police at scene, vehicle in central res."
Shortly afterwards Traffic Scotland provided the update: "M74 (N) at J13 - Route is clear from earlier incident and dog is fine. Has to be the weirdest thing we have ever reported! No delays in area."
Police said the vehicle had gone through a fence near the motorway at about 08:15.
The incident led to plenty of dog puns as people responded to Traffic Scotland's tweets.
Tony T wrote: "Police investigating, so far no leads," while Beverley Friend added: "This is barking."
Michelle Muirhead asked: "Will the dog have points on his licence? Was he breathalysed? Did police arrest him?"

Read more - 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-32411621

JPMorgan Chase Bans Storage of Cash in its Safety Deposit Boxes -

JPMorgan Chase Bans Storage of Cash in its Safety Deposit Boxes -

Some JPMorgan Chase customers are receiving letters informing them that the bank will no longer allow cash to be stored in safety deposit boxes.

The content of a post over on the Collectors Universe message board suggests that we may be about to see a resurgence of the old fashioned method of stuffing bank notes under the mattress.

My mother has a SDB at a Chase branch with one of my siblings as co-signers. Last week they got a letter outlining a number of changes to the lease agreement, including this:

“Contents of the box: You agree not to store any cash or coins other than those found to have a collectible value.”

Another change is that signatures will no longer be accepted to access the box. The next time they go in they have to bring two forms of ID and they will be issued a four-digit pin number that will be used to access the box then and in the future.
The letter, entitled “Updated Safe Deposit Box Lease Agreement,” was sent out to customers at the beginning of the month.

“Hide your wallets, the banksters are on the move,” warns the Economic Policy Journal.

As of last month, Chase has also instituted a new policy which, “restricts borrowers from using cash to make payments on credit cards, mortgages, equity lines, and auto loans,” writes Professor Joseph Salerno of the Mises Institute.

The news arrives on the back of comments by Citi’s Willem Buiter, who recently advocated abolishing cash altogether in order to “solve the world’s central banks’ problem with negative interest rates”.

Last month we also reported on how the Justice Department is ordering bank employees to consider calling the cops on customers who withdraw $5,000 dollars or more.

Efforts to impose restrictions on the use of cash by banks are seen by many as an attack on anonymity and an example of how financial institutions are positioning themselves to handle the fallout of the next economic crash – at the expense of customers.

According to reports which emerged last year, HSBC is now interrogating its account holders in the UK on how they earn and spend their money as well as restricting large cash withdrawals for customers from £5000 upwards.

Banks in the U.S. are also making it harder for customers to withdraw and deposit cash, with Chase imposing new capital controls that mandate identification for cash deposits and ban cash being deposited into another person’s account.

In October 2013, we also covered policy changes instituted by Chase which banned international wire transfers while restricting cash activity for business customers (both deposits and withdrawals) to a $50,000 limit per statement cycle.

Last month, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin hailed the introduction of measures set to come into force in September which will restrict French citizens from making cash payments over €1,000 euros.

Read more -

http://www.infowars.com/report-jpmorganchase-bans-storage-of-cash-in-its-safety-deposit-boxes/

Automakers want to OUTLAW Gearheads from working on their own cars - seek copyright restrictions to stop home mechanics -

Automakers want to OUTLAW Gearheads from working on their own cars - seek copyright restrictions to stop car enthusiasts, home mechanics - 

Claiming that modern vehicles are “too complex” for home mechanics to fix, automakers are seeking copyright restrictions to prevent gearheads from working on their own cars.

The Association of Global Automakers, a lobbying firm for 12 manufacturers, is asking the U.S. Copyright Office to prevent car owners from accessing “computer programs that control the functioning of a motorized land vehicle, including personal automobiles, commercial motor vehicles, and agricultural machinery, for purposes of lawful diagnosis and repair, or aftermarket personalization, modification, or other improvement.”

“In order to modify automotive software for the purpose of ‘diagnosis and repair, or aftermarket personalization, modification, or other improvement,’ the modifier must use a substantial amount of the copyrighted software – copying the software is at issue after all, not wholly replacing it,” the AGA claimed. “Because the ‘heart,’ if not the entirety, of the copyrighted work will remain in the modified copy, the amount and substantiality of the portion copied strongly indicates that the proposed uses are not fair.”

Auto Alliance, which also represents 12 automobile manufacturers, is also asking the agency to scrap exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that allow car enthusiasts to modify and tune their rides.


“Allowing vehicle owners to add and remove [electronic control] programs at whim is highly likely to take vehicles out of compliance with [federal] requirements, rendering the operation or re-sale of the vehicle legally problematic,” Auto Alliance claimed in a statement. “The decision to employ access controls to hinder unauthorized ‘tinkering’ with these vital computer programs is necessary in order to protect the safety and security of drivers and passengers and to reduce the level of non-compliance with regulatory standards.”

But people have been working on their own cars since cars were invented.

“It’s not a new thing to be able to repair and modify cars,” a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Kit Walsh, said. “It’s actually a new thing to keep people from doing it.”

Interestingly, this attack on the do-it-yourself auto hobby coincides with the current push towards self-driving cars, and who do you think will resist autonomous cars the most?

Auto hobbyists, such as hot rodders, drag racers and home tuners.

“The biggest threat to our hobby is those people in powerful situations who’s idea of a great day out in their car is to spend it riding in the back seat while someone else handles the driving ‘chore’ for them,” a hot rodder said on the subject. “These are the same people who will ban ‘old junk’ from the roads, enforce ’50 miles per gallon’ standards on new, and then older vehicles, and eventually force everyone to drive ‘standardized’ cars that will fit precisely in parking spaces, take up the minimum space on public roads, and follow all the ‘environmentally friendly’ buzz words while boring real car drivers like us to death.”

And the first step to keep people from behind the steering wheel is to keep them from opening the hood.

Read more -

http://www.infowars.com/automakers-want-to-outlaw-gearheads-from-working-on-their-own-cars/

Too many vitamins can Give you CANCER, major new study warns the millions who take them -

Too many vitamins can Give you CANCER, major new study warns the millions who take them - 

Vitamin warning: Too many can give you cancer
Taking extra vitamins “does more harm than good” and increases the risk of cancer and heart disease, a major study has revealed.

Around 18 million Brits down supplements thinking they are getting a health boost, but research has found they can have the opposite effect.

Dr Tim Byers – one of the world’s top cancer experts – examined research papers spanning 30 years.

He looked at three widely taken ­over-the-counter pills and supplements, vitamin E tablets, beta-carotene and folic acid, and warned against exceeding the recommended daily amount.

Dr Byers said: “We are not sure why this is happening but evidence shows that people who take more dietary supplements than needed tend to have a higher risk of developing cancer.

“When we first tested dietary supplements in animal models we found that the results were promising.

GettyMiddle-aged woman taking vitamin or mineral supplement capsuleWarning: Too many vitamins can give you cancer
“Eventually we were able to move on to humans. We studied thousands of patients for 10 years who were taking dietary supplements and placebos.

“We found that the supplements were actually not beneficial for their health. In fact, some people actually got more cancer while on the vitamins.”

Folic acid supplements are thought to be taken by more than 230,000 pregnant UK women each year as it can help prevent spina bifida and other birth defects affecting the brain and spine.

But one study examined by Dr Byers’ team found too much increased the chances of getting cancer by 56%.

The acid – also known as vitamin – is also taken to cut the risk of heart disease and polyps in a colon, which lead to cancer.

But the research found too much in supplement form in fact increased the number of dangerous polyps.

Two trials of beta-carotene supplements found taking more than the recommended dose increased the risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease by 20%.

Meanwhile another trial of 35,000 people between 2001 and 2014 in the States found taking too many vitamin E tablets increased the risk of developing prostate cancer by 17%.

Dr Byers, associate director for prevention and control at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, US, began his study after it emerged two decades ago that people eating more fruit and vegetables were less likely to get cancer.

He wanted to see if vitamin supplements – now an estimated £385million market in the UK – would reduce the threat of the killer disease even further.

But long term studies since the 1980s have found taking too many has the opposite effect.

One trial found the chances of lung cancer increased by 18% while another showed an rise of 28%.

Dr Byers said: “We have discovered that taking extra vitamins and minerals do more harm than good.”

He added that most people got their daily recommended doses of vitamins and minerals by eating healthy meals.

He said: “This is not to say that people need to be afraid of taking vitamins and minerals. If taken at the correct dosage multivitamins can be good for you.

"But there is no substitute for good food.”

Folic acid is naturally found in green veg such as broccoli.

Vitamin E is found in foods such as kale and almonds and is taken to boost the immune system.

And Beta-carotene – an antioxidant taken to cut the risk of heart disease and cancer – is found in carrot and mango.

The findings will be presented a US cancer summit this year.

Top UK nutritionist Dr Carina Norris insisted the problem lies with people exceeding the recommended dose.

She said: “GPs recommend folic acid to reduce the risk of birth defects and this is not some weird, wacky supplement.

“But I think there is an assumption that if a nutrient is good for you, then more is better.

"But in some cases increasing the dose can increase the risk of cancer and other diseases.”

In 2012 market research firm Mintel found 35% of the adult population took health supplements, although that had fallen from 41% in 2008.

Read more -

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/many-vitamins-can-give-you-5556383

Day After Obama Removes Cuba from Terror Sponsor List, Terror Group Sponsored by Cuba Kills 10 -

Day After Obama Removes Cuba from Terror Sponsor List, Terror Group Sponsored by Cuba Kills 10 - 

Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would be removing Cuba from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terror list as part of his push to normalize relations with the communist dictatorship. But just hours later, a terror group long fostered by Cuba — even today, the Castro brothers are harboring several wanted members of the group — murdered 10 Colombian soldiers and wounded 17 others in a terror attack on a military base.

Reported Agence France Presse:

Ten Colombia soldiers killed in apparent FARC attack

Ten soldiers were killed and 17 injured in western Colombia Wednesday, in a dawn attack on an army garrison that officials blamed on leftist FARC guerrillas.

The attack occurred in a small town in Cauca province, governor Temistocles Ortega told Blu radio, adding that four of the injured soldiers are in serious condition.

The Cauca region has been a stronghold for the rebel fighters, who are in peace talks with the Bogota government to end more than a half-century of hostilities.

“This is precisely the war that we are trying to end,” President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter.

The FARC in December declared a unilateral ceasefire, which it has said was meant to advance the negotiations, which have been under way since November 2012.

The Colombian government last month temporarily halted air raids against the Marxist rebels.

The five-decade-long conflict has killed more than 200,000 people and uprooted more than five million.

Yesterday, in an article titled “Why Cuba Was, And Must Remain, On Terror List,” PJ Media’s Henry Gomez reported that Cuba has not changed its policy of fueling and defending leftist terror whatsoever since they were initially placed on the list. Wrote Gomez:

The Castro brothers continue to harbor international terrorists from Spain’s Basque separatist group ETA and Colombia’s Marxist rebels FARC, as well as American domestic terrorists from groups like the Black Liberation Army.

Nothing has really changed on this front. It’s estimated that 70 U.S. fugitives are being harbored by Cuba, including Joanne Chesimard (AKA “Assata Shakur”), a convicted cop killer.

Apologists for the Castro regime try to argue that Cuba does not meet the criteria of state sponsor of terrorism via technicalities. They insist that the Basque terrorists in Cuba are a matter for Spain to resolve bilaterally with Cuba, and that the FARC terrorists don’t count because Cuba is hosting peace talks between FARC and the Colombian government, and that Chesimard doesn’t qualify as a terrorist because she didn’t kill a civilian, conflating a police officer with a member of uniformed armed forces in a declared war.

Needless to say, the straws they grasp at paint no more of a flattering picture of the totalitarian dictatorship they defend, which is in its sixth decade.

Gomez is correct in his description of the apologists’ behavior as “grasping at straws.” Harboring terrorists matches the qualifications required for the list, as this act was specifically included in every yearly report dating back to Cuba’s being placed on the list in 1982. 

For example, see this State Department report from 2012:

Cuba was designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 1982. Reports in 2012 suggested that the Cuban government was trying to distance itself from Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) members living on the island by employing tactics such as not providing services including travel documents to some of them. The Government of Cuba continued to provide safe haven to approximately two dozen ETA members.

In past years, some members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were allowed safe haven in Cuba and safe passage through Cuba. In November, the Government of Cuba began hosting peace talks between the FARC and Government of Colombia.

There was no indication that the Cuban government provided weapons or paramilitary training to terrorist groups.

The Cuban government continued to harbor fugitives wanted in the United States. The Cuban government also provided support such as housing, food ration books, and medical care for these individuals.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has identified Cuba as having strategic anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism deficiencies. In 2012, Cuba became a member of the Financial Action Task Force of South America against Money Laundering, a FATF-style regional body. With this action, Cuba has committed to adopting and implementing the FATF Recommendations.

Read more - 

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/04/15/day-after-obama-removes-cuba-from-terror-sponsor-list-terror-group-sponsored-by-cuba-kills-10/

Leaked Document From Mayor to Police: Your Paycheck Depends on How Many Tickets You Write -

Leaked Document From Mayor to Police: Your Paycheck Depends on How Many Tickets You Write - 

Edmundson, MO– While police and their supporters continue to insist that police are out there keeping our streets safe, an internal document sent from the Edmundson Mayor John Gwaltney implies otherwise. The letter, which was included with the paychecks of the town’s police officers, spells out in very plain terms their actual role in the community – extorting money for the state.

In the document obtained by ThinkProgress, the mayor is careful to point out that the town does not have quotas. He states that he only wants “good tickets” written but adds that he is still very disappointed that the Department had been extorting fewer people. Gwaltney goes on to threaten the officers’ bank accounts, stating;

“The tickets that you write do add to the revenue on which the P.D. budget is established and will directly affect pay adjustments at budget time.”
He doesn’t stop with their pay, either, the mayor then goes on to imply that the officers benefits may be in danger, should they not get their ticket production up by budget time.

“It has always been the desire of myself and the Board to provide a safe and pleasant work place with good compensation and benefits for everyone.  However, our ability to continue doing this is being compromised by your work slow down.  I realize that your work production records are directly effected by many extenuating circumstances and those factors are always accounted for as your work records are reviewed by myself and human resources,” the mayor warns.

One fifth of Edmundson’s population is below poverty level, and the town collects 35% of its revenue from tickets and fines.

While departments will usually deny quotas exist, more and more police have been admitting to their existence, despite the careful wording to leave enough wiggle room for plausible deniability.

However, just last week we reported on “the world’s worst cop” who also admitted to the use of quotas and was captured on video.

“This is the last day of the month. I get every stat I need just off of you guys,” says the officer as he begins his rights violating confession.

“So you guys gotta make quota, huh?” asks the detained teen.

“We don’t have a quota. We have expectations. And what that means is, you will make so many arrests a month, you should write so many tickets a month, and you should haul so many dumbasses to jail a month. If we’re gonna pay you $100,000 a year, we should expect something back from you, shouldn’t we?” says the officer.
When the man replies, ‘yes’ that he understands what the officer just said, the cop then asks, “Would you like to be part of my quota tonight?”

The young man then asks the cop, “On what grounds [would you arrest me]?”

To which the cop replies, “‘On what grounds?’ Oh, I don’t know, I’ll think of something. How about aiding and abetting reckless driving?”

There is no money in solving murders and rape cases, but pursuing victimless crimes such a minor traffic violations and catching a kid with a joint provide a steady stream of revenue for the city.  Protect and serve, or stalk and extort?  Perhaps it is time to change that motto.

Read more - 

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/internal-document-mayor-police-paycheck-depends-tickets-write/

US Police Kill More Civilians In March Than UK Police Killed In 100 Years -

US Police Kill More Civilians In March Than UK Police Killed In 100 Years - 

The following statistics seem impossible to believe. While I wonder how accurately the UK has been tracking these numbers historically, the enormous spread seems much too large to ignore, and is a national embarrassment that should be dealt with immediately.

From the Free Thought Project:

A new report by ThinkProgress.com unearthed disturbing figures when it came to the number of police-related deaths that occurred in America in the month of March alone.

Just last month, in the 31 days of March, police in the United States killed more people than the UK did in the entire 20th century. In fact, it was twice as many; police in the UK only killed 52 people during that 100 year period.

According to the report by ThinkProgess, in March alone, 111 people died during police encounters — 36 more than the previous month.

This high number in March increased the average for police killings from every 8.5 hours, to nearly 1 police killing every 6.5 hours in the US.

China, whose population is 4 and 1/2 times the size of the United States, recorded 12 killings by law enforcement officers in 2014.
On average, US police kill people at a rate 70 times higher than any of the other first world countries as they “protect and serve” the American citizens.

This is not what freedom looks like.

Read more -

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-08/us-police-kill-more-civilians-march-uk-police-killed-100-years

BMW 'Crash-Proof' Car Automatically Brakes... - Drive full throttle at wall, will stop inches away... -

BMW 'Crash-Proof' Car Automatically Brakes... - Drive full throttle at wall, will stop inches away... - 

More than 90 percent of auto-related crashes are due to human error: a distraction, a mistake.
With its new “Active Assist” technology, BMW is trying to do everything it can to take those errors out of the equation.
Using laser sensors, the system effectively keeps a 360-degree vigil and will automatically and gently brake before a vehicle hits any stationary object.

If you drive full throttle at a wall, Active Assist will stop mere inches away, without the driver touching the brakes.
While collision-avoidance systems are not new—many cruise-controls automatically slow down when you close too fast on the car in front—BMW’s sensors keep track of walls, columns, and other stationary objects, constantly redrawing a map of the surrounding area.
The next step for BMW now is moving objects, which would involve developing algorithms to show not only where a cyclist or car is, but where they will be.

Read more -
 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-06/bmw-s-new-sensors-do-the-braking-for-you

Canadian woman is 3-point-shooting champ of the NCAA. Full stop. Not just in women's, but in all of college basketball -

Canadian woman is 3-point-shooting champ of the NCAA. Full stop. Not just in women's, but in all of college basketball - 

Canadian Cassandra Brown is the three-point-shooting champion of the NCAA. Full stop. Not just in the women's category, but in all of college basketball.
The Vernon, B.C.-born guard from the University of Portland beat all female challengers in the NCAA's three-point-shooting contest on Thursday. Then, to test her mettle, organizers put the 22-year-old up against men's champion, Kevin Pangos, a Gonzaga star from Holland Landing, Ont.
And she beat him, too.
Brown drained nine straight baskets and 21 overall from outside the three-point arch to edge Pangos, who fell short with 20 successful shots in the one-minute contest.
"I feel like it was a dream," Brown told CTV Vancouver afterward.
Brown's father, Robb, said it was "any dad's dream to see his daughter beat the guy in the final."
Brown's parents couldn't watch the competition on TV in Canada, so they drove five hours from B.C. to Washington to watch it at a sports bar.

Brown's mother, Bonny, said everyone in the bar was celebrating when her daughter won the competition.
"Everybody was screaming and cry and cheering, and she was just knocking them down one after another," Bonny Brown said.
Cassandra Brown was a last-minute addition to the competition, and she says she didn't have any time to prepare for it.
"It was kind of nerve-wracking because I hadn't practiced or anything," she said.
Brown recently wrapped up her fourth year at Portland, where she led the college team in scoring the last two seasons.

Read more - 

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/canadian-woman-wins-ncaa-three-point-contest-against-men-1.2311860

Watching too much TV can give you diabetes -

Watching too much TV can give you diabetes - 

Scientists found that an average day’s viewing increases the chance of developing the condition by nearly 14 per cent.

It means that couch potatoes could be sending themselves to an early grave. But a few simple lifestyle changes such as exercising, eating a healthy diet and reducing inactivity could help slash the chance of being struck by the condition.

The study stated: “Future lifestyle intervention programmes should emphasise reducing television watching and other sedentary behaviours in addition to increasing physical activity.”

The research, carried out in the US, looked at data from more than 3,000 overweight adults on a Type 2 diabetes prevention programme.

They were given either a placebo, the drug metformin – which is used to treat diabetes – or took part in a lifestyle intervention scheme.

Researchers looked at whether, as well as increasing activity levels, lifestyle intervention also made those taking part spend less time sitting.

They found that the risk of developing diabetes increased by around 3.4 per cent for each hour spent watching TV, with the more watched the greater the risk.

Official figures show the average UK adult watches four hours of television a day, meaning the risk goes up by 13.6 per cent.

Lead author Bonny Rockette- Wagner, of the University of Pittsburgh, said: “Our finding of a relationship between sedentary behaviour and diabetes incidence means that reductions in sitting can translate into a positive health effect separate from improvements to moderate-vigorous activity like brisk walking.”

With better awareness of sitting behaviours and efforts to reduce sitting, it may be possible to have an even greater impact, she added.

We need to do more in our prevention efforts to include sitting as a modifiable risk factor for diabetes development, especially in those who are at high risk.
Dr Andrea Kriska

Before the trial, all three groups said they spent an average of around two hours and 20 minutes a day watching TV.

But the researchers found that while the placebo and metformin groups reduced their daily TV watching by an average of just nine and six minutes respectively, those taking part in the lifestyle scheme cut their sitting and watching time by an average 37 minutes a day.

It was noted that subsequent changes in body weight may account for some of the relationship between sitting behaviour changes and diabetes development.

Senior author Dr Andrea Kriska, whose findings are published in the journal Diabetologia, said: “We want people to be aware of the fact that sitting is another modifiable risk factor for diabetes.

“We need to do more in our prevention efforts to include sitting as a modifiable risk factor for diabetes development, especially in those who are at high risk.

“It is important for people to become aware of how much time they spend sitting and to find ways to reduce their overall sitting time.

“It is really about being aware of all your modifiable behaviours and making changes that make the most sense for you.”

Richard Elliott, research communications manager at Diabetes UK, said: “We already know that more physical activity and spending less time seated, along with eating a healthy balanced diet, are the best ways to prevent Type 2 diabetes.”

He added that while the study did not directly compare the impact of watching TV with the impact of other seated activities such as reading or commuting, “it still adds to evidence that less time spent sitting helps to reduce your risk of this condition”.

Read more - 

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/567838/couch-potato-diabetes-risk