Sitting disease is a phenomenon in which those that sit for prolonged periods of time are at an increased risk of obesity and heart disease. People with a sedentary lifestyle have been found to be at a higher risk of chronic conditions such as obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes. It has been found from studies that sitting for more than two hours each day increases the risk of chronic illness. The sedentary lifestyle refers to continuous sitting without breaks. This type of lifestyle has been found to affect other parts of the human body such as the cardiovascular system, colon, blood vessels and can even lead to death.
A study was done in Japan on the effects of sitting disease. The results were that those who sit for more than 2 hours per day had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death. Also, it has been observed that sitting time is connected to obesity. Sitting time along with eating habits increases one’s chance of obesity and obesity is one of the biggest health problems this country is facing.
Additionally, studies have been done on the effects of sitting disease on children and adolescents. It has been observed that prolonged sitting time in children and adolescents results in problems such as low self-esteem, depression, decreased work performance, and increased weight gain due to high intakes of food.
As you can see this is a real issue! And hardly anyone is talking about it.
Ask your doctor at your next visit for recommendations on preventing this from happening.