It may feel wonderful to spend the afternoon relaxing in a chair, reading magazines or doing crosswords, but according to the American Cancer Society, there may be nothing worse.
For quite a while, researchers have been sounding the alarm on the adverse effects of sitting for extended periods of time. However, new research from the American Cancer Society suggests sitting is especially harmful for women.
Researchers found a connection between sitting time and the risk of specific cancers in women, including multiple myeloma, invasive breast cancer and ovarian cancer. For their study, researchers compared time sitting to cancer risk among 140,000 men and women (specifically, 69,260 men and 77,462 women), all of whom were cancer-free to begin with. Between 1992 and 2009, 30,791 study participants were diagnosed with cancer (18,555 men and 12,236 women).
Longer time spent sitting was associated with a 10% higher risk of cancer in women, after adjusting for physical activity, body mass index and other factors. The study found no association between sitting time and cancer risk in men.
Although the American Cancer Society acknowledges that more research is required to gain better understanding of the findings, they do recommend that women reduce sitting time.
Maybe today, try doing the crossword puzzle while standing on two feet.
Editor’s Note: If you’re concerned about the amount of time in a day you spend sitting, revisit the Centers for Disease Controls activity guidelines for older adults.
