Sitting Will Kill You

bcattoes

Actually, sitting does increase risk by itself. Even if you exercise intensely for an hour in the morning or evening, sitting the rest of the day increases your mortality risk, no matter what you eat.

Have you got some explanation for that - backup, ideally with researched studies?

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110112/sitting-down-too-long-bad-health

The Australian research found that long periods of sitting down, even in people who did a lot of exercise otherwise, were associated with worse indicators of cardio-metabolic function and inflammation, such as larger waist circumferences, lower levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and higher levels of C-reactive protein (an important marker of inflammation) and triglycerides (blood fats).

However, the study also found that even in people who spent a long time sitting down, the more breaks they took during this time, the smaller their waists and the lower the levels of C-reactive protein.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/television-and-sedentary-behavior-and-obesity/#Other-Sedentary-Behaviors

There’s evidence that spending too much time sitting—at work or at home—increases the risk of becoming obese, (21,43) and may also increase the risk of chronic diseases and early death. (20,44,45) Of course, people who spend a lot of time sitting may spend less time being active; but physical activity levels don’t seem to explain the sitting–health risk relationship.

julesxo

Do people really spend the time worrying about these sort of fear mongering "statistics"?
I work as a software programmer and have 9 hour shifts...I don't plan on changing careers any time soon. I eat properly and work out about 45mins - an hour a day 6 days a week.
Common sense suggests that if I were to spend that time sitting on my *kitten* playing video games eating Cheetos instead I'd be obese.

julesxo

Actually, sitting does increase risk by itself. Even if you exercise intensely for an hour in the morning or evening, sitting the rest of the day increases your mortality risk, no matter what you eat.

Have you got some explanation for that - backup, ideally with researched studies?

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110112/sitting-down-too-long-bad-health

The Australian research found that long periods of sitting down, even in people who did a lot of exercise otherwise, were associated with worse indicators of cardio-metabolic function and inflammation, such as larger waist circumferences, lower levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and higher levels of C-reactive protein (an important marker of inflammation) and triglycerides (blood fats).

However, the study also found that even in people who spent a long time sitting down, the more breaks they took during this time, the smaller their waists and the lower the levels of C-reactive protein.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/television-and-sedentary-behavior-and-obesity/#Other-Sedentary-Behaviors

There’s evidence that spending too much time sitting—at work or at home—increases the risk of becoming obese, (21,43) and may also increase the risk of chronic diseases and early death. (20,44,45) Of course, people who spend a lot of time sitting may spend less time being active; but physical activity levels don’t seem to explain the sitting–health risk relationship.

Did you read the study? It also says "What is unclear is whether sitting itself is the culprit, or whether sitting is just a marker of another unhealthy aspect of lifestyle—such as TV watching—that is primarily responsible for these observations."

Hardly evidence.

bcattoes

Actually, sitting does increase risk by itself. Even if you exercise intensely for an hour in the morning or evening, sitting the rest of the day increases your mortality risk, no matter what you eat.

Have you got some explanation for that - backup, ideally with researched studies?

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110112/sitting-down-too-long-bad-health

The Australian research found that long periods of sitting down, even in people who did a lot of exercise otherwise, were associated with worse indicators of cardio-metabolic function and inflammation, such as larger waist circumferences, lower levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and higher levels of C-reactive protein (an important marker of inflammation) and triglycerides (blood fats).

However, the study also found that even in people who spent a long time sitting down, the more breaks they took during this time, the smaller their waists and the lower the levels of C-reactive protein.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/television-and-sedentary-behavior-and-obesity/#Other-Sedentary-Behaviors

There’s evidence that spending too much time sitting—at work or at home—increases the risk of becoming obese, (21,43) and may also increase the risk of chronic diseases and early death. (20,44,45) Of course, people who spend a lot of time sitting may spend less time being active; but physical activity levels don’t seem to explain the sitting–health risk relationship.

Did you read the study? It also says "What is unclear is whether sitting itself is the culprit, or whether sitting is just a marker of another unhealthy aspect of lifestyle—such as TV watching—that is primarily responsible for these observations."

Hardly evidence.

Actually, it is evidence. It's just not conclusive evidence.

bcattoes

Do people really spend the time worrying about these sort of fear mongering "statistics"?
I work as a software programmer and have 9 hour shifts...I don't plan on changing careers any time soon. I eat properly and work out about 45mins - an hour a day 6 days a week.
Common sense suggests that if I were to spend that time sitting on my *kitten* playing video games eating Cheetos instead I'd be obese.

I don't know that I "worry" about it, but I have made more of an effort to get up and move on my breaks and at lunch since first reading about that study last year. It's certainly not going to hurt me, and I have discovered that with my feet in my chair my desk is a great place to do tricep dips.