Guys. You may want to read this while standing. Eheheh.
Previous
studies
have tied too much time spent sedentary to a variety of health problems,
including heart disease, blood clots, a large waistline, higher blood
sugar and insulin, generally poor physical functioning, and even early
death. Now, a new study suggests that people who spend the bulk of their
day sitting - whether behind the wheel, in front of the TV or working
at a computer - appear to have
an increased risk for
certain kinds of cancers. For the study, researchers zeroed in on 43
studies that specifically looked at the link between sitting and nearly
70 000 cases of cancer. After combining the results from individual
studies - a statistical tool that helps to reveal trends in research -
there was good news and bad news.
The good news?
Being
sedentary did
not appear to be linked to every kind of cancer. Scientists found no
relationship between sitting and breast, ovarian, testicular or prostate
cancers, or cancers of the stomach, esophagus and kidneys, or
non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The bad news?
That was that there did seem to be a
consistent relationship between hours spent sitting and an
increased risk for colon and endometrial cancers. People who spent the most time sitting during the day had a 24 percent increased risk of getting colon cancer compared to those who logged the least number of hours in a chair, according to the study. When the researchers looked just at time spent watching TV, the risk jumped even more. Those who clocked the most hours glued to the tube had a 54 percent increased risk of colon cancer compared to those who watched the least. That may be because viewers tend to consume unhealthy snacks and drinks while watching TV, said study author Daniela Schmid, an epidemiologist at the University of Regensburg in Germany.
increased risk for colon and endometrial cancers. People who spent the most time sitting during the day had a 24 percent increased risk of getting colon cancer compared to those who logged the least number of hours in a chair, according to the study. When the researchers looked just at time spent watching TV, the risk jumped even more. Those who clocked the most hours glued to the tube had a 54 percent increased risk of colon cancer compared to those who watched the least. That may be because viewers tend to consume unhealthy snacks and drinks while watching TV, said study author Daniela Schmid, an epidemiologist at the University of Regensburg in Germany.
For
endometrial - or uterine - cancer, the risks were even higher. There was
a 32 percent increased risk for women who spent the most time seated
compared to those who sat the least, and a 66 percent increased risk for
those who watched the most TV, the study authors said. Moreover, every
two-hour increase in
sitting time was linked to an 8 percent increased risk of colon cancer
and a 10 percent increased risk of endometrial cancer. The risks
remained even for "active
couch potatoes" - folks who squeeze in some time at the gym but still
spend most of their day off their feet. This suggests that regular
exercise can't offset the risks of too much sitting, the study authors
said. It all makes sense The
findings, published June 16 in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, make sense to Dr. Graham Colditz. He's the associate director
for prevention and control at Washington University's Siteman Cancer
Center in St. Louis. "High blood sugar and high insulin is
a clear sort of pathway to colon cancer, and we know from intervention
studies that walking lowers insulin and getting up after meals lowers
blood sugar compared to sitting," said Colditz, who was not involved in
the research. As for endometrial cancer, "Obesity is
a phenomenally strong cause. In fact, it is the main modifiable risk
factor for endometrial cancer," he said. "So for me, the likely scenario
there is that the sitting, the weight gain and obesity really go
together and exacerbate the risk of endometrial cancer," he added.
Because the studies included in the review
only looked at broad relationships, they can't prove that sitting, by
itself, causes cancer. But the findings appeared to be remarkably
consistent across studies, so Colditz thinks they should be taken
seriously. "Cutting down on TV viewing and sedentary time is just as
important as becoming more active," said Schmid. "For those whose jobs
require them to sit at a desk most of the day, we recommend breaking up
the time spent sitting by incorporating short bouts of light activity
into the daily routine," she added.
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Credit Health24
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