Friday, December 12, 2008

Posture : sitting and the metabolic syndrome

Related to some of the posture things I've been posting, how about this research which posits a link between sitting a lot and the biochemistry of getting fat:

Physiologists analyzing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes found that the act of sitting shuts down the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase. They found that standing up engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase, which prompts the body to process fat and cholesterol, independent of the amount of time spent exercising. They also found that standing up uses blood glucose and may discourage the development of diabetes.


Physiologists And Microbiologists Find Link Between Sitting And Poor Health

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I can see how sitting can provide structural disadvantages to circulation, I think the more positive results regarding standing are simply related to the additional work of standing. What do you think?

Chris said...

Possibly. Maybe it needs testing - e.g. compare sitting to sitting while doing physical work - e.g. cycling