Office Workers Who Sit Too Long Are Prone to Weight Gain
Australian researchers recently found that men who sit at their desks for more than six hours daily are twice as likely to be overweight compared to men who sit for less than 45 minutes per day. Women, however, face less risk due to frequent walking in office settings.
Researchers from Queensland University collected data from over 1,500 full-time workers in Australia, comparing body mass index (BMI), gender, occupation, leisure activities, and sitting duration at work.
The findings revealed that workers spend an average of over three hours sitting daily. Men average 209 minutes, women 189 minutes, and one-quarter of workers sit for over six hours daily. The study found a clear link between sitting time and increased risk of being overweight or obese among men, but not among women. Those who sit longer have a 68% higher chance of being overweight (BMI >25).
Researchers noted that men sit about 20 minutes longer per day than women, contributing significantly to the gender gap in weight gain. Even after adjusting for age, occupation, and leisure-time outdoor activities, the result remained valid: the longer men sit at work, the more likely they are to gain weight—no such correlation was observed in women.