Take the weight off on your feet

THE HEALTH risks of standing all day have been well documented in many recent studies. However, new US research has found that standing could help prevent weight gain, and even promote weight loss.

Carried out by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, in the US, the new study analysed results from 46 studies with a total of 1,184 participants to look at whether standing burns more calories than sitting.

The results showed that standing burned 0.15kcal per minute more than sitting, and so by substituting standing for sitting for six hours a day, a 65kg person would expend an extra 54kcal a day.

If there was also no increase in food intake, then this would equate to a loss of 2.5kg in one year, and 10kg in four years.

The team added that the energy expenditure produced by standing could be even greater than shown in the study, as in reality, people often make small movements while standing.

Senior author Prof Francisco Lopez-Jimenez commented: “Our results might be an underestimate, because when people stand, they tend to make spontaneous movements like shifting weight, or swaying from one foot to another, taking small steps.”

As well as linking prolonged sitting to obesity, previous studies have also found a relationship between sedentary behaviour and health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Lopez-Jimenez added: “Standing not only burns more calories, the additional muscle activity is linked to lower rates of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, so the benefits of standing could go beyond weight control.”

Athough the team noted that more research is needed to see whether standing could be an effective and practical strategy for weight loss, Lopez-Jimenez said: “Standing is a very good first step – no pun intended – to avoid this mindset of sitting interminably without moving. Who knows, it may also prompt some people to do a little more and take up some mild physical activity, which would be even more beneficial.”

The results can be found published online in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. – AFP–Relaxnews