Sitting for a Longer Time Ups the Risk of Developing Several Types of Cancer , Study

A latest study found that a sedentary lifestyle can up the risk of developing several types of cancer. Sitting for a longer period, while watching TV or at work, has also been linked to obesity, heart problems and diabetes.

According to researchers at the University of Regensburg in Germany, people who spend more time sitting have 66 percent higher risk of developing certain types of cancer than those who are active, The Time reported.

The highest risk was of developing colon, lung or endometrial cancers. Additionally, every two-hour sitting time can up the risk of colon cancer by eight percent, endometrial cancer by 10 percent, and lung cancer by 6 percent. The increase in lung and endometrial cancer risk wasn't statically significant, researchers said.

The study was based on data from 43 observational studies. A total of 4 million people had participated in the study. All the participants had provided information about their lifestyle via questionnaire or through interviews conducted during each study, according to a news release.

What's worse is that the risk of cancer was independent of physical activity levels, meaning that people who exercise often, but watch too much television might have health problems in the future. The link between cancer risk and sitting was strongest in those who spent most of their sitting time watching TV. One possible reason for this link, researchers said, was that people tend to eat junk food and consume sugary drinks while watching TV.

"That sedentariness has a detrimental impact on cancer even among physically active persons implies that limiting the time spent sedentary may play an important role in preventing cancer...," researchers wrote.

The study "...support a causal relation between sedentary behavior and both colon and endometrial cancers," said  Lin Yang and Graham A. Colditz, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the Siteman Cancer Center and Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis MO, in an accompanying editorial.

The study is published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Previously, research had shown that sitting for a lesser period - irrespective of physical activity levels - can add years to a person's life.