by FFE Health News Staff

A 12-year American study funded by the US Department of Health revealed that sitting too long can be deadly for women.

The study published in the ‘American Journal of Prevalence Medicine’ was based on scientific evidence that links sedentary lifestyles (including sitting too long) with increased risk of getting potentially fatal diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Researchers from Cornell University and Stony Brook University School of Medicine sampled 100,000 post-menopausal women from all over the America in the span of 12 years to test their hypothesis. They considered the women’s level of physical activity to see if indeed having a sedentary lifestyle affected health.

After follow-up reports, they concluded that those who were sedentary for longer had a greater risk of dying.

While the study had its limitations (for example, most data were collected from the women’s self-assessments), it did support the growing body of evidence that links sedentary lifestyles with fatal diseases. Some fitness experts have even said ‘sitting down is the new smoking.’

NHS suggests that adopting healthier habits early will help create consistent lifestyles that women can benefit from throughout their lives.