Amount of Time Spent Sitting Linked to Chronic Diseases

The amount of time a person spends sitting increases the risk of chronic diseases. According to a latest finding from Kansas State University, the more time the person spends sitting, higher is the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and high blood pressure.

The study, published in the International Journal og Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, focused on the link between amount of time spent sitting and the risk of developing chronic diseases in middle-aged Australian males. The study was conducted by Richard Rosenkranz in collaboration with researchers Emma George and Gregory Kolt from University of Western Sydney.

The study was conducted on nearly 63,048 males belonging to the age group of 45-65 from the Australian state of New South Wales. The study was conducted on males as they have higher rates of diabetes and other heart diseases. The subjects were asked to report whether they had any type of chronic disease along with their daily sitting time. The participants were categorized into four groups, namely, less than four hours, four to six hours, six to eight hours, and more than eight hours.

Those who sat for four hours or more than four hours a day were at a high risk to report having a chronic disease. Greater the amount of time spent in sitting, higher the risk of chronic diseases was noticed. Those males who sat for at least six hours a day were likely to suffer from diabetes.

"We saw a steady stair-step increase in risk of chronic diseases the more participants sat. The group sitting more than eight hours clearly had the highest risk. The study is relevant to office workers sitting at desks and those sitting for long periods of time such as truck drivers," Rosenkranz was quoted as saying in MedicalXpress.

He continues to explain that more physically active people suffer less with chronic diseases when compared to those who are less physically active. Those jobs that demand long periods of sitting may be hazardous to health due to inactivity and low energy level outflow.

Irrespective of the body mass index, those who sat more had more chronic diseases. Further studies are required to determine whether sitting time caused the development of chronic diseases or whether chronic diseases influence sitting time.