Lifespan shortened by sitting on your _______!

A new study published in the online July 22 edition of American? Journal of Epidemiology sheds light on the effect that too much "sitting" has on a person's lifespan. Even when factoring in obesity and physical activity, the amount of sitting a person does shortens his or her lifespan. More than 120,000 American adults were studied over the course of 14 years. The participants had no history of disease and had completed questionnaires. Adjustments were made for many risk factors such as the body mass index, and smoking. The study showed that people were more likely to die of heart disease than cancer. Women who spent six hours a day sitting had a 37 percent increased risk of dying compared to those who spent less time on their posteriors. Men had an increased risk of 17 percent. A little exercise everyday lowered the mortality risk but for those who sat a lot and did not exercise, the mortality risk jumped to 94 percent for women and 48 percent for men. Researchers stress that inactivity has consequences on a person's overall health and raises the risk factors for other diseases as well. Ultimately, it is important to get up and move.* Andrea Schumann Staff Writer