Is sitting the new smoking?

Are you slowly killing yourself while you sit at your desk or can you relax in your seat a little longer? The claim that sitting is the new smoking has been widely circulated since 2013, when Dr Anup Kanodia was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article. However, while sitting too much is definitely bad for you, this exact statement has since been disproved. Even so, the claim continues to stick around – mostly because it’s alarmist and catchy – but also because there is some truth to the matter.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sedentary behaviour is associated with a higher risk of dying, including from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Too much sitting also contributes to the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes, whereas physical activity has been shown to lower these health risks, as well as reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and delay the onset of dementia.

There isn’t always a direct correlation between sitting and an inactive lifestyle, though. For example, if you are a person who sits at a