The Role Of Sedentarism And Its Effects On The Human Body

Susan Scutti in the article “Yes, Sitting Too Long Can Kill You, Even If You Exercise” claims that sitting can reduce one’s lifespan. Scutti supports her claim by presenting a data that shows that people who spend more time on a chair, died much earlier than people who were more active. The author’s purpose is to raise awareness that sedentary behavior has a negative impact on health. The author writes in an formal tone for the general

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are a growing problem around the world today. Not only do diseases such as diabetes and heart disease affect individuals and their lifestyles, they also affect the economy, politics, education and the professional work environment. 20-26% of individuals in the United States live with heart disease, and obesity and high blood pressure compose the greatest factors for developing this disease [20]. Studies have shown a direct correlation between the amount of sedentary time and cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk, regardless of baseline measurements [20]. Thus, increase in physical activity will decrease cardiometabolic risk factors [8]. Several studies indicate a positive correlation between physical activity and decreased cardiometabolic risk markers [2,4,11,16]. However, we now know that an individual who is getting the recommended physical activity per day can still have a large amount of sedentary time.

The stigma of the sedentary lifestyle is not limited to working. Many sedentary habits develop at ones home. Watching television and playing on the computer have proven to be one of the least engaging metabolic activities. Riding, driving and reading have proven to have higher metabolic rates then watching television or playing a game on the computer. Working and watching television consumes many American’s time (Medical Center). Based on a study done in 2012 the average American under the age of two watches approximately thirty-four hours of live television a week and three to six hours watching taped programs a week (Hinckley). In the end, a small fraction of the day is left to burn calories and raise ones metabolic rate (Medical Center).

In Sumathi Reddy’s article “The Price We Pay for Sitting Too Much”, Reddy briefly examines the harms of sedentary behaviour. She suggests that in order to avoid them, one must do no more then increase the time they spend standing throughout the day. The article is aimed at working adults and suggest multiple schedules for increasing time on your feet and consequently, reducing sedentary behaviour. Some of the routines suggested are unrealistic for a busy person, such as the one preposed by Dr. Allan Hedge and Nasa. Hedge suggests that every thirty minutes, one should spend 20 minutes seated, 8 minutes standing and 2 minutes walking or stretching. Nasa’s recommended routine is simpler, but still slightly impractical. They suggest that one should

Increases in this type of behaviour has been associated with significant increases in the risk of developing chronic diseases with an increase of 112% relative risk of diabetes being reported by Wilmot et al (2012). A significant amount of research is now being conducted into the effect that prolonged sitting, as a sedentary behaviour, has on the risk of type-2 diabetes. The main effect of sitting idle for a prolonged amount of time is that the muscles required for upright movement such as the legs, back and truck, become redundant. The result of this is that we consequently decrease the energy expended as result of intermittent muscular contractions throughout the waking day (Hamilton et al 2007). One particular study found that an increase in 1 hour of television watching in which the participants would be seated, there was a 26% increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women (Dunstan et al 2005). Bed rest studies have also been used to assess the affects of prolonged inactivity in relation to insulin action and glucose

To combat the rise of preventable chronic disease, there has been an increased emphasis on engaging in regular physical activity, as there is a clear and well-established relationship between physical inactivity and negative health outcomes. Although physical activity plays a crucial role in the prevention and management of chronic disease, this approach alone may not be sufficient to negate the effects that sedentary behavior has on health (3). Sedentary behavior is independently associated with an increased risk for chronic disease (4 5). This has become especially problematic for adults in the workplace as jobs increasingly shift towards computer-based deskwork. There is a dire need to address the risks of sedentary behavior independently from physical activity in the adult working population. The key options to address sedentary behavior in the work place involve physical changes to the environment and behavioral changes through use of current

In the article “Killer Chairs” author James Levine proposes that sitting all day can cause various health issues. When a person moves, most of the food consumed will be converted into energy instead of being stored as fat, and a lack of movement can create various health issues like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. One of the author’s clients was 50 pounds overweight and was going to have to start insulin injections for his diabetes. The client was advised to conduct two of his meetings a day through walking, instead of sitting in a meeting room; this simple change would enable him to burn 400 additional calories per day. The client took the author’s advice and lost 25 pounds the first year, and 10 more pounds the following year and

The problems of being inactive prove clearly demonstrated by its threats, as demonstrated by being a nationwide problem that causes unwanted burden like obesity, illness, and death. America holds one of the largest rates of obese people in the world. Unnecessary problems relating to inactivity prove able to be prevented through moderate to vigorous amounts of physical activity on a regular basis. As said by “Physical Activity and Health: At-A-Glance” “People can select activities that they enjoy and that fit into their daily lives. Because amount of activity is a function of duration, intensity, and frequency, the same amount of activity can be obtained in longer sessions of moderately intense activities or in shorter sessions of more strenuous activities to remove threats given by physical inactivity”(CDC 4). For a better workout and to avoid soreness and injury, begin with a simple workout and then gradually build in difficulty with every workout. Despite the benefits given by doing regular physical activity, many adolescents, high school students, and even adults neglect training themselves to maintain proper weight and exercise regularly, as the older one gets,

Physical activity has been ranked as a leading national health indicator by Healthy People 2010 and 2020. Regular physical activity is associated with enhanced health and reduced risk of all-cause of mortality. Beyond the effects on mortality, physical activity has many health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, ischemic stroke, non–insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes, colon cancers, osteoporosis, depression, and fall-related injuries (Khan et al., 2002, para. 1). Due to modern technological advancement and ease of access, humans have evolved from having a very physically active lifestyle to a technology dependent, less active beings. Starting from the car we use to go to the grocery store

The sedentary lifestyle of so many Americans is really starting to concern me. The average American now spends more than 8 hours sitting every day. Is this you? That is 122 days per year of sitting!! I firmly believe that all this sitting is exacting a serious, and previously misunderstood, toll on our bodies. We have moved from an active, agricultural lifestyle to one of offices and automation. Every aspect of our day from our meals (drive-thru's, delivery) to our jobs (computers) to our home life (TV, remote controls, computers, shopping online) to our entertainment (plush theater seats) has been tailored with one priority in mind, our comfort.

Evidence shows that advance health conditions, are due to physical inactivity, their primary focus is on prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) linked to physical inactivity, particularly cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (WHO, 2012). Physical inactivity is a primary cause of most chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are major killers in the modern era. Historical evidence showing physical inactivity is detrimental to health and normal organ functional capacities (WHO, 2012).

shift towards desk-based occupations, sedentarity is widespread in today’s culture and has become a social norm in Canada. In 2012 to 2013, 31% of children and 62% of adults were overweight or obese [1]. Obesity is associated with sedentarity [2], and almost three-quarters of children spend their recreational time engaged in sedentary activities that involve reading or screen time (e.g., watching TV and playing video games) [3]. In fact, the number of hours of screen time is associated with being overweight or obese in children and adolescents [2]. Childhood sedentarity is particularly concerning in Canada, with Canada lacking in overall child and youth physical activity levels in comparison to 14 other countries [4]. The federal

According to the World Health Organization (2012), inactive lifestyle can give a bad impact for people’s health.

Physical activity is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It contributes to physical, mental, and social aspects of life. Whether it is strenuous exercise of simply just walking, the effects that it has on the human body is remarkable. In the older population, most individuals start to lose muscle in twenty four hours of inactivity. As a nurse it is our job to get that patient up and moving so that those effects do not start to set in. In this case study I will point out some of the contributing factors that have impacted inactivity, negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle, holistic benefits, and finally how exercise can be implemented into long term care.

Throughout this activity I have learned that the life decisions and bad eating habits that you make do not only affect your health, but trickle down and become hereditary health problems for people in your family. In which some hereditary health problems can be controlled and some are uncontrollable. It was also very relevant that weight and your work place have a huge factor to play with your longevity of your life. If you don’t work out and maintain a healthy lifestyle it takes tremendous years off your life. This is due to movement being life and constantly staying active to insure the healthiest state of your body so that it may thrive. Being sedentary without a lot of movement is more common today in people who work at desk jobs. The effects of sitting most of the day seem to be that more people are obese, than someone who’s always on their feet moving around. I’ve also noticed that women also have a longer life expectancy than man do which was very surprising. This was surprising because I thought that men and women’s longevity was around the same, based on their environment and lifestyle. Though in every category I reviewed their projected longevity was 3 or more years. Throughout this paper I will be talking about some of the leading factors and trends that effect and advance the longevity of life from this activity.