Animator's Paradox: Sitting

This page is part of the BA Thesis "The Animator's Paradox" by Lukas Wind (2022)

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Sitting – why worry?

In 2014, a slogan coined by Dr. James A. Levine made publicity: "Sitting is the new smoking"¹. While it it might turn some people off ("isn't everything supposed to kill us?"), the studies that have been conducted show the brutal consequences of prolonged sitting. Hamilton and his colleagues put forward that "in the future, too much sitting might be considered in the same way as have other such insidious environmental and behavioral health hazards." They also draw the reference to secondhand smoking: Only a few years back it was considered risk free, while it is now commonly avoided and known to be equally harmful.²

A study from 2012 analyzed the association of sedentary time with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality as well as all-cause mortality based on the results of 18 previously conducted studies, with a scope of 800.000 participants:

"The greatest sedentary time compared with the lowest was associated with a 112% increase in the RR (Risk Ratio) of diabetes […], a 147% increase in the RR of cardiovascular events […], a 90% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality […] and a 49% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality […]".³

An exaggerated increase in blood sugar after having a meal is a key incidence for Type 2 diabetes. Simply by taking a slow 15 minutes walk after the meal can cut the increase in half. Breaking up sitting time multiple times a day can also improve blood sugar stability.¹

There is a misconception though that too much sitting is the same as a lack of exercise (a lack of vigorous physical activity). Several studies show, that sedentary time has it's own unique set of metabolic consequences that is distinct from a lack of exercise and can not be “reversed” by exercise. Yes, exercise helps immensely to withstand overstrain but there is no way it can erase the effects of prolonged sitting. And thus the analogy to smoking becomes more visible.²

“We can’t get away from sitting. We have to be at our computers doing work. So any exercise is better than none at all. Whether it’s standing desks, treadmill desks, or frequent breaks, we all have the challenge of finding our own life hacks to getting exercise in where we can to stay strong and live healthy lives” says Dr. Elan Goldwasser.⁴

Prolonged sitting leads to…

• abrasion of inter-vertebral disks
• build up of vascular plaque (arteriosclerosis)
• back pain
• dulled intellectual function
• muscle shortening
• increased risk of osteoporosis
• increased risk of heart attack
• increased risk of stroke
• increased risk of obesity
• increased risk of depression and anxiety disorder
• low mood
• low bone density
• overstrained muscles

Compared to people who sit very little, prolonged sitting leads to a...⁵

• 20% increased risk of breast cancer
• 24 % increased risk of colorectal cancer
• 32% increased risk of uterus cancer

Candy in the kitchen

How do we escape the consequences of lethal sitting? By getting up frequently.

The presence of candy in the kitchen and the absence of healthy alternatives makes a healthy diet difficult, most people will agree. And this is part of the reason why getting up is so difficult: The presence of sitting opportunities everywhere in our everyday life and the absence of movement opportunities dramatically challenges our willpower. Furthermore, in most working environments sitting on a chair is the unchallenged status quo therefore it should be practiced with great caution. But sitting on a chair neither is nor does it have to be the only practical option. There is more.

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Sources

¹ Levine, J. A. (2014). Lethal Sitting: Homo Sedentarius Seeks Answers. Physiology, 29(5), 300–301. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00034.2014

² Hamilton, M. T., Healy, G. N., Dunstan, D. W., Zderic, T. W. & Owen, N. (2008, July). Too little exercise and too much sitting : Inactivity physiology and the need for new recommendations on sedentary behaviour. Current Medicine Group LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-008-0054-8

³ Wilmot, E. G., Edwardson, C. L., Achana, F. A., Davies, M. J., Gorely, T., Gray, L. J., Khunti, K., Yates, T. & Biddle, S. J. H. (2012). Sedentary time in adults and the association with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death: systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetologia, 55(11), 2895–2905. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-012-2677-z

⁴ Health Matters. (2021, 12. July). Is Too Much Sitting Harming Your Body? NewYork-Presbyterian. https://healthmatters.nyp.org/is-too-much-sitting-harming-your-body/

⁵ Suchert, V. (2017). Sitzen ist fürn Arsch: Warum die sitzende Lebensweise unsere Gesundheit gefährdet und was wir dagegen tun können. Heyne Verlag.