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Seated Culture In America

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I. Introduction “The simple truth is that sitting is affecting the health of millions of Americans and millions of people in high- and middle-income countries around the world. This unlike other things, is something we can do something about.” -Dr. John Mercola The new “normal” in America requires most people to live a lifestyle that is unnatural in regards to human biomechanics, that is, to be in a seated in a sedentary state for extended periods of time. America is gradually losing the correct upright human posture and suffering the health effects caused by prolonged sitting, hunching or crouching due to daily job requirements and lifestyle choices. For the purpose of this paper the phrase “seated culture” will be defined by these widespread habits of chronic sitting in the United States. The negative effects of seated culture in America are becoming more and more clear as research continues to find direct correlations between chronic diseases and the seated, sedentary lifestyles of patients seeking healthcare. These effects and conditions are …show more content…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines ergonomics as an act to lessen muscle fatigue, increase productivity and reduce the number and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (OSHA, n.d.). One ergonomic option for both office employees and students is the standing desk. The average American middle school student spends 1003 hours per year at their desk. By utilizing a standing desk instead of a sitting desk, those students would expend 20,461kcals more per school year translating into an approximate extra weight loss of 5.85 lbs per school year (Reiff, Marlatt, & Dengel, 2012). This extra energy expenditure can help prevent metabolic diseases later in life however, it would take a major change in infrastructure and money for the new desks in order to bring these desks into schools and corporate

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