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Sitting Is the New Smoking Disease

The 2012 Comprehensive Physiology article highlighted the fact that 95% of adults in the United States do not meet the minimum guideline for physical activity, which, as explained earlier, is 150 minutes of somewhat hard exercise throughout the week. Why is it such a struggle for the majority of Americans to attain 30 minutes of somewhat hard physical activity at least 5 days per week? Some scientists explain that there has been a steep decline in physical activity during the last several decades due to our reliance on technology, including automobiles, computers, televisions, smartphones, tablets, and energy-saving devices. Our new technologies have advanced travel, communication, education, research, business, and medicine, but have also contributed to a massive spike in physical inactivity (what we scientists refer to as “sedentary behavior”). People in developed societies throughout the world are spending greater amounts of time in activities that not only limit physical activity, but also require prolonged sitting. Schools, homes, worksites, and public spaces are built in ways to minimize human movement and promote sitting. When it comes to health, many wellness professionals now claim excessive sitting is akin to the smoking disease of yesteryear for its long-term health consequences.