Americans are sitting too much, says CDC



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Add to that, one in 10 Americans reports both behaviors – sitting more than eight hours a day and being physically inactive – according to the study published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA.

"High sedentary behaviors and physical inactivity have negative effects on health," said the study's authors. "And the evidence suggests that the risk of premature mortality is especially high when they occur together."

CDC researchers used data from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2015-2016 with approximately 5,900 adults as a basis for their analysis. This survey is unique in that it combines both interviews and physical exams of all participants.

Almost 26% of adults surveyed reported sitting more than eight hours a day, while nearly 45% reported being inactive. Researchers have discovered similar patterns for men and women.

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When you combine the two behaviors, the highest proportion of adults – nearly 14% – was part of the group who reported sitting six to eight hours a day and not doing enough exercise. 11% reported sitting more than eight hours a day without being active; the same percentage reported sitting four to less than six hours a day without being active.

The healthiest group is also the smallest, say the researchers. Just under 3% of adults who participated in the survey reported sitting less than four hours a day and being sufficiently active.

According to the survey results, sitting more than eight hours a day, associated with insufficient activity, increased with age.

Standing office recommendations based on weak science
A study conducted in 2017 found that no matter how much physical activity you do, sitting for too long is a risk factor for early death, no matter what the cause. This study was based on nearly 8,000 adults.
"Sit less, move more" is what the American Heart Association encourages us all to do. But this simplistic guideline is not enough, said Keith Diaz, lead author of the 2017 study and assistant professor of behavioral medicine in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University.

"It would be like telling someone to just" do some exercise "without telling him how," Diaz said.

The CDC exercise guidelines recommend that adults exercise aerobically at a moderate intensity for two hours and 30 minutes each week, as well as two or more muscle building activities per week.

Although Diaz believes that a similar recommendation is needed to sit, his 2017 study did not provide enough evidence to establish a strict rule, but he said: Additional research is needed.

In the meantime, he suggests a possible sitting directive.

"We think that a more specific guideline could read as follows:" Every 30 minutes of sitting up, get up and move / walk for five minutes at a brisk pace to reduce health risks related to the sitting position, "he said.

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