Sedentary Lifestyle: Is Sitting All Day At Work Killing Us?

New findings published in the Journal of Hematology reveal that sitting all day could be contributing to an early death.

Sedentary activities, particularly over a longer period of time, including sitting at a computer all day or watching the tube, are not only linked to reduced physical activity, but they could increase the risk of taking up certain negative behaviors, including overeating or drinking too much.

In this recent study, researchers analyzed data on over 140,000 Koreans who underwent a health examination between March 2011 and December. Researchers assessed physical activity levels based on the international Physical Activity Questionnaire Short form and used ultrasonography to determine any presence of fatty liver.

The study results revealed that close to 40,000 had non-alcohol fatty liver disease, with prolonged sitting increasing the risk.

"The data ... add to the strong and alarming evidence that sitting too much and moving too little has significant negative consequences for cardio-metabolic health," said Michael I. Trenell, an expert on how lifestyle influences lifelong health and wellbeing and chronic disease, in a news relase. "The message is clear, our chairs are slowly but surely killing us. Our body is designed to move and it is not surprising that sedentary behavior, characterized by low muscle activity, has a direct impact on physiology."

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