Sedentary lifestyle: a scourge with multiple consequences - In the news

2023-09-29 10:03:54

September 29, 2023

Its name comes from the Latin “sedere” which means “to be seated”… A sedentary lifestyle is a real scourge of modern times as we spend more and more time sitting. Its effects on health are now fully evaluated. What are they ? How to counter them?

Sports cardiologist at CHU Pontchaillou in Rennes, Professor François Carré talks about a “addiction to the chair”! Because according to him, “ we can speak of a sedentary lifestyle when we spend two or three hours sitting, without getting up “. This is why it is important to distinguish sedentary lifestyle from physical inactivity, defined by insufficient practice of physical activity. What do they have in common? Both kill between 40,000 and 50,000 French people per year, according to Professor Carré.

In France, more than a third of adults have a high level of sedentary lifestyle and insufficient physical activity. “These people are more exposed to cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers,” recalls Professor Irène Margaritis, head of the Nutrition Risk Assessment Unit at ANSES. “They are also at greater risk of hypertension or obesity. Generally speaking, the risks associated with inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are increased when they are cumulative.”

Standing !

Overweight, obesity, high blood pressure but also type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarction… the World Health Organization (WHO) speaks of an epidemic of “non-communicable diseases”. Chronic diseases therefore affect the heart and blood vessels, but not only that, since a sedentary lifestyle also constitutes a risk factor for cancer, depression and even musculoskeletal disorders.

The situation also appears very worrying among children and adolescents, populations where cases of type 2 diabetes are now appearing, a condition formerly considered a disease linked to age and lifestyle. The cardio-respiratory endurance of young people aged 9 to 17 would therefore decrease by 5% each year!

The solution ? Get up from your chair then move For the rest, never miss an opportunity to walk, even if only by taking the stairs to the detriment of the elevator. Because physical activity is essential to us.

Source : Handles. Opinion relating to the assessment of risks linked to the levels of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle of adults aged 18 to 64, excluding pregnant and postmenopausal women. January 18, 2022 – WHO, site consulted September 27, 2023 – Let’s move, by Régis Juanico. (Preface by François Carré). Fondation Jean-Jaurès éditions et éditions de l’Aube
Written by : David Picot – Edited by: Emmanuel Ducreuzet