Sitting for long hours can increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a South Korean study.
The researchers examined the association of sitting time and physical activity level with liver disease in nearly 140,000 people who underwent a health examination between March 2011 and December 2013. Physical activity level and sitting time were assessed using a questionnaire. The presence of fatty liver was determined using ultrasonography.
Of the people studied, nearly 40,000 had liver problem. Remarkably, these associations were also observed in patients with a body mass index of less than 23. "The message is clear, our chairs are slowly but surely killing us. Our body is designed to move and it is not surprising that sedentary behaviour, characterised by low muscle activity, has a direct impact on physiology," said Michael I Trenell, professor at Newcastle University in the UK.
The study was published in the Journal of Hepatology.
Read more here.
Return to News Home
