January 15, 2010 – Each hour of sitting in front of the television increases the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 18%, Australian study finds1. And 11% that of dying from all causes.
Researchers monitored the lifestyle habits of 3,846 men and 4,954 women for more than 6 years. People who spent 4 hours or more per day in front of the screen notably had a larger waist circumference as well as higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose than those who listened to less than 2 hours, reveals study.
The directly responsible sitting position
“The results of this study are very solid,” comments Dr.r Paul Poirier, director of the Institut de cardiologie et de pneumologie at Hôpital Laval, in Quebec. They corroborate the conclusions of a Canadian study2 published last year. The first to combine the dangers of sitting for a long time in a seated position and the mortality rate linked to a sedentary lifestyle, ”comments Paul Poirier.
Anyone who sits for several hours without moving is affected, he adds. However, people get discouraged if they are told to do ½ hour of physical activity daily, he admits.
To encourage office workers to get moving, Dr Poirier suggests buying a pedometer to count at least 10,000 steps per day. “It’s a practical tool to motivate us to go up the stairs instead of taking the elevator at work, making a detour in the hallways to go to the bathroom, etc. At the end of a day, these usually modest changes add up and give an interesting result, ”he says.
According to the researchers, muscle activity and body movements normally intended to keep us upright are much less strained than before. Muscle contraction is essential for the proper functioning of several regulatory mechanisms in the body. The metabolization and use of glucose, in particular, depend directly on it, they conclude.
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Danny Raymond – HealthPassport.net
1. Dunstan DW, Barr EL, et al. Television Viewing Time and Mortality. The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab), Circulation, Jan. 26, 2010; flight 121.
2. Katzmarzyk PT, Church TS, et al. Sitting time and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, Medicine & science in sports & exercise, 2009 (41): 998-1005.
