The research team calculated that people who stay seated for more than 10 hours each day are 1.4 times more likely to develop a resistance to insulin than those who sit for less than five hours. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has revealed that sitting for long periods of time may increase the chance of a resistance towards insulin, with those sitting 10 hours per day up to 1.6 times more likely than those sitting for less than 5 hours to develop insulin resistance.
Once cells begin to resist insulin, which is essential for controlling blood sugar levels in the body, type 2 diabetes may result as well as metabolic syndrome.
Research teams from Yonsei University College of Medicine led by Prof. Park Eun-cheol reported on Monday that they had observed a causal relationship between long periods of sitting and a higher resistance towards insulin.
The study was published in the December issue of BMC Public Health.
Out of 2,573 participants without any prior record of diabetes, 19.9 percent sat for fewer than five hours per day, 38.7 percent for five to eight hours, 22.4 percent for eight to 10 hours, and 19 percent for more than 10 hours.
Resistance to insulin gradually increased with longer sitting hours.
The research team calculated that people who stay seated for more than 10 hours each day are 1.4 times more likely to develop a resistance to insulin than those who sit for less than five hours.
This causality was more clear among office workers who, sitting for more than 10 hours each day, were up to 1.6 times more likely to develop a resistance to insulin that those sitting for less than five hours.
The research team also showed that the causal relationship weakened if a person was sitting less than nine hours per day, indicating that sitting for more than 10 hours each day could be one of the major causes of insulin resistance.
“Companies with employees that spend long stretches of the day sitting should come up with measures to protect the health of their workers,” said Prof. Park.
“The employees themselves should also make an effort to change their work patterns.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
