The simple act of sitting while you read this article is expanding your waistline, says accredited nutritionist and exercise physiologist Caitlin Reid.
When it comes to the obesity epidemic poor eating habits and inadequate exercise are the lifestyle factors receiving most of the blame.
However, according to research published in 2004, compared to our lifestyle habits in 1972we now eat fewer kilojoules and are more active during our leisure time, yet obesity rates continue to rise. Our sedentary jobs are partially to blame for our expanding waistlines.
Over the last 50 years, there has been a shift away from occupations that require moderate-intensity physical activity to occupations that are largely composed of sitting and sedentary behaviour.
In fact, our daily energy expenditure at work has decreased by more than 420 kilojoules in both men and women. US researchers speculate that this reduction in movement at work accounts for the large portion of the observed increase in mean weight in the US over the last five decades.
According to Australian research, prolonged unbroken periods of immobilised muscle, as seen when sitting for extended periods of time such as at your desk, has a detrimental effect on waist circumference. These effects happen even when we’re classified as being physically active, i.e. getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week.
When you think about it these findings don’t really come as a surprise, as over the years physical activity has been engineered out of our lives. Sedentary office jobs are now the norm and only 20 percent of jobs now require moderate physical activity.
Few of us think about the negative impact a lack of movement has on our waistline. Instead we think that technology is saving us time and enabling us to get more done. While many of us understand the importance of our daily jog or gym session for keeping trim, few of us think about the important role incidental physical activity like taking the stairs or walking to water cooler has on our waistline.
Too often we think of going out for the office coffee run or walking to speak to a colleague instead of emailing as inconveniences instead of opportunities towards better health.
While it’s unlikely that we will regain the lost energy expenditure in the workplace, we can increase the opportunities for movement. On top of scheduling in group personal training sessions or employer-subsidisedgym memberships, we all can take our own initiative to sit less, move more and move often throughout the entire day.
This just doesn’t go for when you’re at work either—apply this principle to your whole day. On top of your daily exercise program, limit television viewing to no more than two hours per day and actively commute whenever you can. Your waistline will thank you for it.
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