Bingeing has become many people’s favorite way to consume television. But marathon-viewing doesn’t just change how we watch — it also affects how we eat.

While the culture of the Netflix all-nighter is relatively recent, researchers have been studying the links between TV viewing and mindless eating for years. And the news isn’t good for our waistlines.

“There’s convincing evidence in adults that the more television they watch, the more likely they are to gain weight or become overweight or obese,” says Lilian Cheung, director of health promotion & communication at Harvard School of Public Health and author of Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.

She says the sedentary nature of prolonged viewing as just one contributing factor: “TV viewing may also promote poor dietary behavior due to frequent exposure to unhealthy food and beverage marketing, as well as providing more opportunities for unhealthy snacking, and interfering with adequate sleep.”

Preliminary research has also suggested a connection between binge viewing and higher rates of depression and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, among other concerns.

Read the article “Netflix and Chew: How Binge Watching Affects Our Eating Habits” on npr.org.