Scientists stand up for research on sitting pretty
Source: Agencies |
July 17, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS you might expect at a conference on the health dangers of sitting, most of the seats were empty.
Still, the scientists and health experts who did gather at Stanford University were encouraged to get up from their chairs, stretch their legs, pace the room, even stand during discussions ranging from the risks of inactivity to technological solutions for reducing time on one's behind.
"Certainly the irony of having everyone sit through a conference on the perils of sitting was not lost on us," said Anne Friedlander, a consulting professor of human biology at Stanford and an organizer of the two-day conference entitled The Science of Sedentary Behavior.
Friedlander opened the event by telling participants that they could monitor their sitting time on a timer displayed on a big screen behind the lectern. Alternative seating, including exercise balls, was also available. A campus walking tour would end the day.
"It's almost impossible to sit down for long periods when you know what's going on in your body while you're sitting," Friedlander said.
Although much of the research into the health risks is preliminary, several studies suggest that people who spend prolonged periods on their behind are more likely to be overweight, have heart disease or even die. Inactivity also decreases circulation and the body starts shutting down on a metabolic level.
Neville Owen, professor of health behavior at the University of Queensland in Australia, said much of the research into sedentary behavior also has focused on weight gain or loss. "We can't let ourselves get sucked in to one particular track," Owen said. "That's just not the whole story."
Still, the scientists and health experts who did gather at Stanford University were encouraged to get up from their chairs, stretch their legs, pace the room, even stand during discussions ranging from the risks of inactivity to technological solutions for reducing time on one's behind.
"Certainly the irony of having everyone sit through a conference on the perils of sitting was not lost on us," said Anne Friedlander, a consulting professor of human biology at Stanford and an organizer of the two-day conference entitled The Science of Sedentary Behavior.
Friedlander opened the event by telling participants that they could monitor their sitting time on a timer displayed on a big screen behind the lectern. Alternative seating, including exercise balls, was also available. A campus walking tour would end the day.
"It's almost impossible to sit down for long periods when you know what's going on in your body while you're sitting," Friedlander said.
Although much of the research into the health risks is preliminary, several studies suggest that people who spend prolonged periods on their behind are more likely to be overweight, have heart disease or even die. Inactivity also decreases circulation and the body starts shutting down on a metabolic level.
Neville Owen, professor of health behavior at the University of Queensland in Australia, said much of the research into sedentary behavior also has focused on weight gain or loss. "We can't let ourselves get sucked in to one particular track," Owen said. "That's just not the whole story."
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