Diabetes, obesity due to TV viewing: Study.ISLAMABAD, April 18, 2009 (Balochistan Times) -- A research found that sedentary sedentary /sed·en·tary/ (sed´en-tar?e) 1. sitting habitually; of inactive habits. 2. pertaining to a sitting posture. sedentary of inactive habits; pertaining to a fat, castrated or confined animal. behaviour, especially watching television, was associated with significantly elevated risk of obesity and type II diabetes Type II diabetes Type II diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and usually appears in middle aged adults. It is often associated with obesity and may be delayed or controlled with diet and exercise. Mentioned in: Diabetic Ketoacidosis . Researchers form the Harvard School of Public Health The Harvard School of Public Health is (colloquially, HSPH) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, next to Harvard Medical School and Cambridge, Massachusetts, did a study to examine the relationship between various sedentary behaviours, especially prolonged television watching, and risk of obesity and type II diabetes in women, Health News reported. The study was conducted from 1992 to 1998 among women from 11 American states. The research study group for obesity included 50,277 women who had a body mass index (BMI BMI body mass index. BMI abbr. body mass index Body mass index (BMI) A measurement that has replaced weight as the preferred determinant of obesity. ) of less than 30 and were free from any cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease , diabetes, or cancer. The diabetes analysis included 68,497 women who were free from diabetes mellitus diabetes mellitus Disorder of insufficient production of or reduced sensitivity to insulin. Insulin, synthesized in the islets of Langerhans (see Langerhans, islets of), is necessary to metabolize glucose. In diabetes, blood sugar levels increase (hyperglycemia). , cardiovascular disease, or cancer. Over 6 years, 3,757 women had become obese and 1,515 new cases of type II diabetes were documented in the respective study groups. Time spent watching TV was found to be positively associated with the risk of obesity and type II diabetes. The researchers found that for every two hours spent daily watching TV there was a 23 per cent increase in the risk of obesity and a 14 per cent increase for diabetes. Also, two hours per day increment in sitting at work was associated with a 5% increase in obesity and a 7% increase in diabetes. In contrast, standing or walking around at home two hours per day was associated with a 9% reduction in obesity and a 12% reduction in diabetes. One hour of brisk walking per day was associated with a 24% reduction in obesity and a 34% reduction in diabetes. The study emphasises the importance of reducing sedentary behaviour for preventing obesity and diabetes. The researchers suggested that a relatively active lifestyle is essential for maintaining good health. They recommend less than 10 hours of television viewing in a week and more than 30 minutes of brisk walking every day. (THROUGH ASIA Asia (ā`zhə), the world's largest continent, 17,139,000 sq mi (44,390,000 sq km), with about 3.3 billion people, nearly three fifths of the world's total population. PULSE) |
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