Each extra hour in a sedentary position — whether working on the computer or lounging in the recliner — seems to increase your odds of type 2 diabetes by 22 percent, the study authors said.
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“We found that people with diabetes spend more time sitting than people without diabetes — about 26 minutes more” a day, said lead researcher Julianne van der Berg, from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
However, she cautioned that the link between sitting and diabetes is only an association, and doesn’t prove that sitting causes type 2 diabetes. “We cannot have any conclusions about cause and effect,” she said.
These findings are independent of any high-intensity exercise, such as running or swimming, van der Berg added.
“We all know that physical activity is important, but now we see that sitting is a bad thing,” van der Berg said. “The more you sit, the higher the risk [for type 2 diabetes], regardless of how much you exercise.”