Sitting for a long time may increase chances of Cancer in women

The study found that women who spent more of their leisure time sitting had a 10% increased risk of cancer.

A new and alarming study says that women who sit too long-either at work or at home-might be at a significantly higher risk for developing cancer than those who are more active.

The weight-change findings remained the same after accounting for other factors associated with weight gain, such as increasing age, transition to menopause and level of physical activity, researchers said.

Researchers at the American Cancer Society looked at nearly 150,000 men and women over 17 years.

Lots of time spent sitting may increase a woman’s odds for cancer, but it does not seem to have a similar effect on men, a new study suggests. Focusing on specific cancers, the researchers determined a 65 percent risk for multiple myeloma, 10 percent risk of breast cancer, and 43 percent risk of ovarian cancer, according to TODAY. She added further that researchers would continue monitoring women with cancer to observe whether the weight gained on account of chemotherapy persisted over a period of time. Studies have shown that those who gain weight can be more prone to the unfortunate outcome of their cancer returning.

Surprisingly, the study that appeared in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, didn’t find such a problem in men. Because breast cancer rates tend to rise around menopause, doctors weren’t sure whether the weight gain was part of normal aging and changes in women’s reproductive status, or whether something about cancer made patients more vulnerable to gaining weight.

Furthermore, breast cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy treatments achieved 11 pounds weight gain – indicating they had a double likelihood of gaining weight than those without breast cancer. Even before this study suggested this link, the American Cancer Society had already issued guidelines that recommend decreasing sitting time for a healthier lifestyle, in addition to a balanced diet and enough physical activity.

“This is of concern because weight gain of this magnitude in adults has been associated with increased future risk for chronic diseases like coronary heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes”, said the paper’s first author, Amy Gross, MHS, doctoral candidate in the department of epidemiology at Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The results contribute to evidence highlighting the health risks of prolonged sitting, but Basen-Engquist says the study does have a limitation.