A new study led by the University of Leicester, in association with colleagues at Loughborough University, including Stuart Biddle, has discovered that sitting for long periods increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and death.

The study combined the results of 18 studies and included a total of 794,577 participants. It was led by Dr Emma Wilmot, a research fellow in the Diabetes Research Group at the University of Leicester, and carried out in collaboration with colleagues from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester – Loughborough Diet, Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit.

According to the study, those with the greatest sedentary time compared with the lowest was associated with a:

Importantly, associations were independent of the amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity undertaken, suggesting that even if an individual meets typical physical activity guidelines, their health may still be compromised if they sit for long periods of time throughout the day.

Prof Stuart Biddle, of Loughborough University and British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (BHFNC), who also worked on the study, said: "There are many ways we can reduce our sitting time, such as breaking up long periods at the computer at work by placing our laptop on a filing cabinet.

"We can have standing meetings, we can walk during the lunch break, and we can look to reduce TV viewing in the evenings by seeking out less sedentary behaviours."

Source: The British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (BHFNC) website [October 2012].