# Sitting bad for you **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970 "2011-09-20T18:31:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anon11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/1 "2011-09-20T18:31:49Z")
So this study claims. Please help wade through the crap in these statements. I don’t think standing still for hours is healthy either. I tried to sit at 135 degrees while using my keyboard. This led to neck pain. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/2 "2011-09-20T20:17:19Z")
From what I can tell all of this research is based upon observational, epidemiologic studies. Epidemiologic studies can only show correlation, not causation, so none of these studies demonstrate that sitting is bad for you. If sitting for long periods of time is unhealthy, are we to conclude that sleeping for long periods is unhealthy as well? A much more sensible interpretation of the epidemiologic evidence is that unhealthy people (elderly people, obese people, depressed people, etc.) are more sedentary than healthy people and are therefore spend more time sitting. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/3 "2011-09-20T22:09:48Z")
> [@anon11](#): > > So this study claims. Please help wade through the crap in these statements. I don’t think standing still for hours is healthy either. > > I tried to sit at 135 degrees while using my keyboard. This led to neck pain. Not an answer to your question but related (well, a little.) Two weeks ago I brought donuts in for my group at work. A guy I didn’t know wandered in from another group - helped himself to a donut, asked who brought them and came over and gave me a long tirade about how sitting all day makes us fat. He said there should be no chairs, and our computers should just be on a podium. All this said while munching on a free donut. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/4 "2011-09-20T22:23:22Z")
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20837291](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20837291) > [@](#): > > CONTEXT: Emerging evidence suggests that sedentary behavior (i.e., time spent sitting) may be negatively associated with health. The aim of this study was to systematically review the evidence on associations between occupational sitting and health risks. > > EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Studies were identified in March-April 2009 by literature searches in PubMed, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PEDro, with subsequent related-article searches in PubMed and citation searches in Web of Science. Identified studies were categorized by health outcome. Two independent reviewers assessed methodologic quality using a 15-item quality rating list (score range 0-15 points, higher score indicating better quality). Data on study design, study population, measures of occupational sitting, health risks, analyses, and results were extracted. > > EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: 43 papers met the inclusion criteria (21% cross-sectional, 14% case-control, 65% prospective); they examined the associations between occupational sitting and BMI (n=12); cancer (n=17); cardiovascular disease (CVD, n=8); diabetes mellitus (DM, n=4); and mortality (n=6). The median study-quality score was 12 points. Half the cross-sectional studies showed a positive association between occupational sitting and BMI, but prospective studies failed to confirm a causal relationship. There was some case-control evidence for a positive association between occupational sitting and cancer; however, this was generally not supported by prospective studies. The majority of prospective studies found that occupational sitting was associated with a higher risk of DM and mortality. > > CONCLUSIONS: **Limited evidence was found to support a positive relationship between occupational sitting and health risks. The heterogeneity of study designs, measures, and findings makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions at this time**. ---
**Author:** ![anon11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/5 "2011-09-21T21:27:29Z")
Surely higher risk of DM and mortality is of concern? ---
**Author:** ![anon11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/6 "2011-09-22T22:37:53Z")
> [@anon11](#): > > Surely higher risk of DM and mortality is of concern? By the way, thanks to google, I know that DM means Diabetes. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/7 "2011-09-23T14:57:42Z")
Just recall that Donald Rumsfeld always used a lectern (not a podium, which is something you stand on) so if you want to be like Rumsfeld, don’t use a chair. I keep hearing that chairs are bad for you, but they are so comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![anon11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/8 "2011-09-29T21:20:49Z")
What do you all think of the sitting at 135 degrees claim? I tried to sit at 135 degrees while using my keyboard. This just led to neck pain. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/9 "2011-09-29T21:45:04Z")
> [@anon11](#): > > What do you all think of the sitting at 135 degrees claim? I tried to sit at 135 degrees while using my keyboard. This just led to neck pain. The only recommendations I’ve seen for the 135 degree posture have your back vertical, but the thighs are tilted down. This is what the “kneeling posture” chairs are usually designed to achieve ([example](http://modernoffice.stores.yahoo.net/erknch.html) showing a person). The picture in the site you’re looking at shows the thighs horizontal and the back tilted at an angle and I’m sure that would cause neck pain. You might be able to watch TV comfortably in that position, but you sure can’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sitting-bad-for-you/596970/10 "2011-09-29T23:31:06Z")
You would need to support your head to relieve pressure on the neck. Holding your head free while supporting your back at that angle would strain the neck. I am amused that chewing gum has almost twice as much additional energy over sitting as standing does. So everyone should chew gum while they sit rather than standing. I also don’t buy the claims about electrical activity in the legs shutting off. I fidget like a Chihuahua on caffeine. I’m constantly wiggling. The rest of the claims on that slide are also suspect.