Chances are that when you read this you will be sitting. Have you wondered if sitting can make you fat, especially over long periods of time? I must admit that as a person who writes and does most of my work sitting it has occurred to me on numerous occasions, especially when I worked in corporate America, sitting at a desk for long periods of time. So I decided to dig a bit further into this question to see whether sitting could in fact be a contributing factor to obesity in of itself.
Overview
It comes of no surprise that a majority of us work at jobs that require sitting. Teachers, office workers, and numerous professionals spend a good portion of their day sitting. Even students are required to sit for hours on end while attending their classes. Not to mention all of the sitting that goes on during our leisure time: watching TV, eating at restaurants, watching sports, etc.
Should we be concerned? According to various studies, yes we should.
Sitting Can Slow Metabolism
According to a study as far back as 2008, sitting can inhibit our metabolism, contribute to the development of diabetes, as well as prevent those enzymes that break down fat from working. So it’s no wonder that over 45 million adult in the United States suffer from a metabolic disorder – again, that’s 45 million people!
How Sitting Affects Metabolism
According to research, it appears that sitting affects a particular enzyme called lipase, which helps in the absorption and processing of fat and cholesterol. Just the mere act of sitting is shutting off an important circulation mechanism which allows the enzyme to operate, thus creating the slower metabolism as well. It’s estimated that people who sit extensively are much more likely to come down with heart disease or diabetes, with their risk doubled to tripled that of people who sit for short amounts of time.
Conclusion
What does this mean for you? Obviously, if you are trying to lose weight and are finding yourself unmotivated to do so, unless you can drop pounds by the loads, this should be your wake up call to at least make attempts to exercise 60 minutes every day. Simply walking briskly around the neighborhood for an hour would do. Studies show that in inactive individuals this kind of effort can improve one’s health tremendously when done consistently.
Being healthy and trying to lose weight should go hand in hand. Often, though they do not. One should not take on a fad diet to lose weight and disregard the fact that their bodies require movement to be healthy. It makes sense that the more movement you make, the faster your circulation and the better your circulation is feeding all parts of your body. If you’re not moving much at all, you can guarantee that your body will find it difficult to move nutrients, hormones, and water around your body. Why not give it a hand and stand up – move around a bit – and get healthier.
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