THE ESSENTIAL
- The combination of prolonged sitting and a lack of physical activity is associated with a high risk of death from all causes including cancer.
- It is recommended that adults engage in moderate intensity activity for at least 150-300 minutes per week.
In France, teleworking has become compulsory for all employees for whom it is possible. Since the beginning of January, many French people, forced to work at home, move less than usual. Some tend to move from bed to sofa to office chair and often stay in an extended sitting position. Problem: this gesture is harmful to their health. According to works published in the journal JAMA Oncology January 6th, sitting for more than eight times a day is associated with increased risk of cancer mortality.
To reach this conclusion, American and Canadian scientists collected data from 1,535 patients, over the age of 40, who survived cancer. This information was found in an American survey called the “National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey” carried out between 2007 and 2014. Participants were asked to indicate the number of hours they remained seated and the duration of their physical activities. The study authors looked at the dates of participants’ deaths following cancer survivors.
A risk of death multiplied by more than five
“Cancer survivors who did not meet the physical activity guidelines for Americans (150 minutes per week of moderate to intense physical activity) and who sat more than eight hours per day were at risk of death multiplied by more than five, all causes combined – cancer or not “, said Lin Yang, author of the study.
The researcher clarified that more research on “the cause and effect relationships between sedentary behavior, physical activity and survival following cancer, as well as the biological mechanisms underlying these relationships” needed to be conducted.
Exercise to reduce the risk of death
According to Alpa Patel, vice president of the American Cancer Society, “This study continues to send the important message of being physically active and trying to limit the time spent sitting”. As a reminder, the World Health Organization recommends that people over 18 devote at least 150 to 300 minutes per week to moderate intensity endurance activity or to at least 75 to 150 minutes of sustained intensity endurance activity.
