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tehelka bureau

The dangers of sitting:

Why sitting is the

new smoking

iving a seden- 23 hours of television a week have a 64 Diabetes
tary lifestyle can per cent higher risk of dying from car- Studies have shown that even five days
be dangerous to diovascular disease than men who only lying in bed can lead to increased insu-
your health. The watch 11 hours of television a week. lin resistance in your body. Research
L less sitting or
lying down you do during the day, the
better your chances for living a healthy
life. If you stand or move around dur-
ing the day, you have a lower risk of
early death than if you sit at a desk.
If you live a sedentary lifestyle, you
have a higher chance of being over-
weight, developing type 2 diabetes
or heart disease, and experiencing
depression and anxiety.

HOW DOES A SEDENTARY LIFE-
STYLE AFFECT YOUR BODY?

Weight
Moving your muscles helps your body
digest the fats and sugars you eat. If you
spend a lot of time sitting, digestion is
not as efficient, so you retain those fats
and sugars as fat in your body. Even if
you exercise but spend a large amount
of time sitting, you are still risking
health problems, such as metabolic
syndrome. The latest research suggests
you need 60-75 minutes per day of
moderate-intensity activity to combat
the dangers of excessive sitting. Heart
disease. Sitting for long periods has
been linked to heart disease. One study
found that men who watch more than

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