Definition of the word couch potato

The term "couch potato" first appeared in a Canadian health magazine, Victoria Lifestyles, in 1976. It was coined by writer Lenore Newman in an article about the rise of the video game industry and its impact on people's sedentary lifestyle. In the article, Newman used the phrase "couch potato" to describe individuals who spend their leisure time lounging on a couch and mindlessly playing video games, consuming large amounts of junk food in the process. She used the term as a playful reference to the popular TV personality, Walter Cronkite, who was often referred to as the "top potato" in the television industry. The term quickly gained popularity within the Canadian culture and soon spread across the globe, entering the Oxford English Dictionary in 1993. Today, "couch potato" has become a widely recognized slang term describing lazy, sedentary individuals who lead a low-activity lifestyle while watching TV or playing video games.