Sedentary activities are known to have their own set of limitations. A study by professionals at the University of Leicester has shown that women who stay seated for extended time periods could be more susceptible to type 2 diabetes.
Surprisingly, such a correlation was not to be found in males. Around 400 and 500 men and women aged 40 or higher were incorporated in the trial. The amount of time the participants spent staying confined to their desks was noted. Specific tests to gauge their vulnerability to conditions like metabolic dysfunction and diabetes were also conducted.
As per the observations, women who stayed glued to their desk for the longest time apparently manifested higher proportions of insulin and C-reactive proteins in their blood streams. They also seemed to posses higher levels of C-reactive proteins and chemicals.
“This study provides important new evidence that higher levels of sitting time have a deleterious impact on insulin resistance and chronic low-grade inflammation in women but not men and that this effect is seen regardless of how much exercise is undertaken. This suggests that women who meet the national recommendations of 30 minutes of exercise a day may still be compromising their health if they are seated for the rest of the day,” commented Dr Thomas Yates who led the study.
The link between sitting time and diabetes risk appeared to be more pronounced in women than men. The team speculated that women are more prone to snack while engaging in sedentary work than the opposite sex. Moreover, men are known to carry out many robust activities as compared to women, which could be one reason behind the aforementioned effect.
Further studies to gauge the influence of reduced sitting time on individuals are underway. The report is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.