1er December 2010 – Sitting – watching TV, reading on your sofa or surfing the Internet – is bad for your health and its harms are different from those associated with lack of physical activity, Canadian researchers conclude.
In addition to increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, a sedentary lifestyle has a direct influence on our metabolism, on the constitution of our bones and even on our mental balance. The researchers reviewed the most recent studies on the subject. Here is the list of the consequences of immobility on health that they drew up:
- The more sedentary you are, the higher your risk of being obese. For example, for every additional 2 hours spent watching television each day, the risk of obesity increases by 23%.
- Sitting also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke), as well as the level of fat in the blood.
- The risk of cancer is also increased, especially the risk of colon cancer in men and endometrial (uterine) cancer in women.
- Spending time in front of the television or the computer also has consequences for mental health: the most sedentary people have a 31% increased risk of mental illness compared to the most physically active people.
- A sedentary lifestyle leads to a decrease in the density of the bones, that is to say their solidity, thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
The time spent in sedentary activities continues to increase, from an early age, the researchers observed. For example, American adults and children spend about 55% of their days sitting. As for Canadian children, they spend more than 6 hours a day in front of a screen, while the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends spending less than 2 hours a day.
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Tremblay MS, Colley RC et al. Physiological and health implications of a sedentary lifestyle, Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. Flight. 35, 2010. Study not listed in PubMed.
