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Another Study Says Sitting Too Long Ups Cancer Risk

Inactivity linked to greater risk of breast, colon cancer

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 4, 2011 4:56 AM CDT

(Newser) – And the "sitting is bad for you" drum beats on: Even people who get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day have a higher risk of developing cancer if they spend most of the rest of their waking hours sitting down, researchers say. An analysis presented at the American Institute for Cancer Research's annual conference yesterday suggests that every year, some 49,000 new cases of breast cancer and 43,000 of colon cancer can be linked to inactivity and to sitting down for too long.

Other studies have linked sitting too long to premature death. "Even among individuals who were regularly active, the risk of dying prematurely was higher among those who spent more time sitting," an American Cancer Society epidemiologist tells USA Today. The AICR says even small increase in physical activity can make a big difference, and suggests people try setting their computer to remind them to get up and walk around every 60 minutes, the Washington Post reports.

"If you've sat for an hour, you've probably sat too long," a Mayo Clinic professor of medicine says. (Shutterstock)

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Another Study Says Sitting Too Long Ups Cancer Risk

Inactivity linked to greater risk of breast, colon cancer

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breast cancer • cancer research • colon cancer • exercise

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