from Journal of the National Cancer Institute
What do TV viewing time, recreational sitting time and sitting time at work have in common? More than you might think. Physical inactivity has been linked to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, but now there is evidence that sitting can increase the risk of certain cancers—colon, endometrial and lung. An analysis of studies involving more than 4 million people showed for every two hour daily increase in sitting time, risk of colon cancer increased eight percent, endometrial cancer ten percent and lung cancer six percent. Those results seemed to be independent of physical activity, suggesting that large amounts of time spent sitting can be harmful to those who are otherwise physically active. TV viewing time appeared to be most damaging possibly because TV time is often associated with snacking. The study appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.