Sitting Does Not Cause Obesity

Although sedentary time leads to other health issues, it does not cause weight gain, according to results of a new study.

To conduct their study, the researchers identified 23 prospective cohort studies via online databases. The studies aimed to determine the associations between sedentary behavior and body weight and obesity in adults, while controlling for physical activity.
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Their analysis showed no significant associations between sedentary behavior and any measure of body weight or obesity. However, waist circumference was associated with sedentary behavior. An increase of 1 hour per day of sedentary behavior was associated with an increase of 0.02 mm in waist circumference over a 5-year period.

“Meta-analysis of data from prospective cohort studies showed small, inconsistent and non-significant associations between sedentary behavior and body weight,” the researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Campbell ADI, Bronson BJ, Chu AKY, et al. Sedentary behavior and body weight and composition in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies [published online November 30, 2017]. Spo Med. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0828-6.