Sitting for six hours a day is contributing to the deaths of up to 70,000 people in the UK each year, a new study has found.
Around a third of British adults spend more than six hours sitting down each day, which contributes to an estimated one in nine deaths a year which equates to about 70,000 in total, the research concludes.
Extra treatment for resulting instances of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses costs the NHS around £700 million a year according to the study. Although Public Health England sets this figure at £900 million.
The study, led by Leonie Heron of Queen’s University Belfast, calculated the health impacts of prolonged sedentary periods, and found that 17 per cent of diabetes, 8 per cent of lung cancer and 5 per cent of of heart disease cases could be prevented by spending less time sitting down.
Ms Heron said. “It suggests that it is bad for our health how our working lives are structured for a lot of people. You can attenuate that risk by being more active in your leisure time, but it’s something employers can look at.”
She and her team of researchers recommend that office staff step away from their desks every hour, and that employers allow activity breaks.
Public Health England has already published recommendations that adults do at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity each week, such as brisk walking, cycling and yoga.
“If physical activity was a drug it would be classed as a wonder drug,” the health body states in its 2016 Health Matters guidance.
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This health guidance further emphasises the importance of cutting down on sitting down, noting: “Even among individuals who are active at the recommended levels, spending large amounts of time sedentary increases the risk of adverse health outcomes."
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Figures released by the Department of Health reveal people are in the UK are around 20% less active now than in the 1960s and estimate that if current trends continue, this will rise to 35% by 2030.
