Sitting All Day: Worse For You Than You Might Think • Hacker News Board

Re: Sitting All Day: Worse For You Than You Might Think

#91

Post by singular » Tue, Apr 26, 2011, 9:27 AM UTC

shpxnvz wrote: post #75

singular wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, not surprising that was down-voted, but seriously - if somebody contends that we're 'not designed for X', yet we have actually evolved to be able to do X, I think it's reasonable to point that out, even if the fact is that we do too much sitting down.

While it may in fact be true that we evolved to able to sit, the sentence you quoted is in no way evidence of it. A link to supporting evidence, or even a well reasoned argument, would go along way towards backing up your claim.

It was indeed an (uncited) quote from a wikipedia article which is hardly the same as concrete evidence :-)

Regardless, it is certainly the case that we have evolved to be able to sit comfortably and take weight off our legs - that, I think, is indisputable.

I would argue that the buttocks provide a structural base for the weight of the body which would otherwise be transmitted through the upper parts of the legs more so than they are in reality. That is something of a guess, however.

Re: Sitting All Day: Worse For You Than You Might Think

#92

Post by joahua » Wed, Apr 27, 2011, 12:50 AM UTC

de90 wrote: post #7

lpolovets wrote: post #5

I am not going to disagree with the article or dispute that sitting all day is not as healthy as occasionally moving around, but does anyone else feel like this is the latest "health scare" meme? It reminds me of how leg embolisms on long flights were the focus of attention a few years ago. (i.e. completely absent from the news at first, then an overabundance of stories once a single scientific study is published.)

No doubt it is. I think it's just a problem with us understanding more. There is always going to be, taking to much of something, too little of something else, doing to much of x, doing to little of x. Things that are good for us are bad in large amounts (vitamins), and things that are bad can be used for 'good' (botox). Find what works for you, and makes you feel how you want, and stick with it. There will never be…

Particular reason for scarequotes around 'good' re: botox? Cosmetic surgery connotations aside, botox is used for (quite effective) treatment of cerebal palsy / muscle spasticity.

Re: Sitting All Day: Worse For You Than You Might Think

#93

Post by SomeCallMeTim » Wed, Apr 27, 2011, 7:53 PM UTC

johnnyjustice wrote: post #29

SomeCallMeTim wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see "health scare meme" as a potentially dangerous meme in and of itself. YES, the media can exaggerate the result of a single study and people will overreact to it (see: "margarine is healthier than butter," then more recently the reverse). In this particular study, the results may not be conclusive enough to act on; that aside, there ARE other health studies that have been successfully repeated (for example, the…

Could you elaborate on how it improves your QoL

The big thing is that I feel better working for longer stretches. I was feeling almost claustrophobic after sitting for long periods, and I suspect it was a circulation issue, though it could be that the small amount of exercise that you get from standing could be relevant.

In general I'm feeling better about working, which is why I said it improved my QoL.

Re: Sitting All Day: Worse For You Than You Might Think

#94

Post by SomeCallMeTim » Wed, Apr 27, 2011, 8:16 PM UTC

ellyagg wrote: post #32

SomeCallMeTim wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see "health scare meme" as a potentially dangerous meme in and of itself. YES, the media can exaggerate the result of a single study and people will overreact to it (see: "margarine is healthier than butter," then more recently the reverse). In this particular study, the results may not be conclusive enough to act on; that aside, there ARE other health studies that have been successfully repeated (for example, the…

No way. Health scare memes are absolutely dangerous and almost certainly the reason for the most pernicious and widespread health problems in the US. The media always need a new villain. If it were settled that an obvious component of our diet were the culprit for most of our problems, much of the drama and conflict would be drained from one of their favorite story lines. Your example of trans fats is a good one. Tra…

I know, I read the article about sugar as well. And I think there's a good chance it's probably right, and as a result I'm eating less sugar. It was actually when I went from drinking a six-pack of soda a day to none at all that I immediately stopped gaining weight and started losing weight.

My point about trans fats is that it's been known for YEARS that they're bad, and as you point out it's only recent that people have been believing it. I've been avoiding trans fats for over ten years, since well before most people had heard of them, but the original studies showing they were bad news date back to the 50s.

I think you may have misunderstood my point. What I'm saying is that the "it's another health scare meme" is a dangerous concept because it causes people to ignore ALL health advice they hear. Your point about false health claims reinforces my point: Because a lot of "health claims" made in the press are based on a single study (which could be poorly designed or just randomly showing a result), people now ignore all health advice. They've lost faith that any health advice can possibly be useful to them.

That's why I'm saying that it's a dangerous habit to label every new health report as a "health scare meme." On the other hand, it's also important to take pretty much anything you see in the press with a grain of salt. My hope is that, now that we have Google and other online research options, it will be easier to debunk the garbage ("my all protein diet is good for you!") and determine what the studies really show.

Re: Sitting All Day: Worse For You Than You Might Think

#95

Post by jongraehl » Wed, Apr 27, 2011, 11:23 PM UTC

maxxxxx wrote: post #26

deltaqueue wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have proper posture and a chair suitable for your stature? I'm sure the answer is yes, but a chair with a base too deep or too shallow could easily cause numb legs over an extended period of time.

I have tried different chairs and postures without success. I teach yoga classes a few times a week and I see a lot of people (age 40+) showing similar symptoms: numb legs and arms, lower back pain. I believe an additional problem is that if you sit the whole day the muscles at the front side of your body get too short and the back side too long. So when you finally exercise this imbalance may cause even more problem…

You've wrongly simplified. The knees and hips bend in opposite ways when you sit. Sitting will not stretch the hamstrings, which are on the back of your body. It will stretch the quads, which are at the front.