Are You Sitting Too Much?

Hope you haven't been sitting too long prior to reading this. If you have, the results from this study should discourage you from doing so.

The researchers studied sitting time and mortality (or death) rates in a sample population size of 17,013 between 18-90 years of age for an average of 12 years. Guess what the results showed? A linear relationship between sitting time and mortality rates. This was true regardless or whether you did any exercise or not.

Among the different things evaluated at baseline were daily sitting time (almost none of the time, quarter of the time, half of the time, three quarters of the time, almost all of the time), leisure time physical activity, smoking status, and alcohol consumption.

There were 1832 deaths (759 of heart related disease and 547 of cancer). Even after adjustment for potential confounders (things that may potentially affect the data), there was still a progressively higher risk of mortality across higher levels of sitting time from all causes. Similar results were obtained while comparing by sex, age, smoking status, and body mass index.

The researchers concluded that there is a definite association between sitting time and mortality from all causes including heart disease (but not cancer), regardless of whether you were active or not.

Okay then, thanks for reading, I need to be running or sitting on my bike riding instead of sitting in front of this computer. And you need to get off your chair/ sofa etc and do more moderate to vigorous exercise.

Or as Lance Armstrong will say "Livestrong".


Reference

Katzmarzyk, PT et al (2009). Sitting Time and Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular disease, and Cancer.Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise. May;41(5):998-1005