This is probably one of those ways your desk job will cost you more than it actually pays. Even if your office provides you with the softest cushions and fancy seats, the fact that you’re stuck there all day without really moving around much could be killing you.
Researchers have discovered that lack of physical activity while engaging in pastimes such as watching TV for long hours or sitting in front of the computer could lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Medical News Today reported .
A study was conducted on 140,000 Koreans who underwent a health examination between March 2011 and December 2013. Using the Korean version of the international Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, the physical inactivity levels and average time spent sitting were accessed. Moreover, the presence of fatty liver was determined by ultrasonography. And the results were shocking!
Of the people studied, 40,000 were diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. They found that increased sitting time and reduced physical activity are independent causes associated with increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. What was more unnerving was that people with a body mass index (BMI) of 23 also was diagnosed with the disease.
“The message is clear, our chairs are slowly but surely killing us. Our body is designed to move and it is not surprising that sedentary behaviour, characterized by low muscle activity, has a direct impact on physiology,” said Michael I. Trenell, an expert on how lifestyle influences lifelong health and well being and chronic disease.
Looks like it’s time we get up and move around a little bit. Yoosoo Chang, co-author of the study, said “Our findings suggest that both increasing participation in physical activity and reducing sitting time may be independently important in reducing the risk of [non-alcoholic fatty liver disease], and underlines the importance of reducing time spent sitting in addition to promoting physical activity.”
