Background Research in developed countries has demonstrated an association of varying degrees between watching TV and the risk of being overweight and obese. However, there is no evidence of such an association in the context of the South Asian population.

Objective To investigate whether watching TV increases the risk of being overweight and obese among women in Bangladesh.

Setting Rural and urban areas in Bangladesh.

Participants Participants were 16 624 non-pregnant women aged between 15 and 49 years.

Methods The study was based on cross-sectional data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) conducted in 2014. The main outcome variables were overweight and obesity measured by body mass index. Data were analysed by using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation and multivariable logistic regression models.