Sitting too much?

The results of the recently released Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) show that despite the serious health risks associated with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, Australian adults continue to compromise their health and wellbeing by a lifestyle rich in energy dense foods and low on physical activity.

But it’s not that simple. Education and income are also major determinants of health, as seen in the finding that living in the most socially disadvantaged areas of Australia doubles the risk of developing diabetes.

AusDiab is the largest Australian longitudinal population-based study of its kind. The study has followed 11,000 Australian adults over 12 years to determine how many of the participants develop diabetes, obesity, kidney and heart disease.

The incidence of diabetes in Australia remains alarmingly high with the study revealing that each day, approximately 269 adults over the age of 25 develop diabetes.

Australians with diabetes are at greater risk of depression, cognitive impairment and disability. The prevalence of depression was 65% higher in people with diabetes compared to those without while people with diabetes showed double the rate of cognitive impairment compared to those without diabetes.

Obesity remains one of the biggest risk factors for type 2 diabetes. The incidence of diabetes is five times higher in people who are obese and two times higher in those who are overweight.

But despite the risks associated with weight gain, 36% of study participants were classified as insufficiently active (ie, not meeting physical activity guidelines) and young people aged 25-34 gained more weight and waist circumference during the 12 years compared to all other age groups.

The report also identified major discrepancies between participants’ perceptions about how long they spend sitting and the actual amount of time they were sedentary, underscoring the challenges of increasing physical activity participation across the population.

Participants self-reported that they spent an average of 200 minutes a day sitting. However, a measurement device worn by participants recorded an average 500 minutes a day spent sitting - more than double the amount of time people thought they were sedentary.

“The problem of too much sitting is a relatively new consideration in public health,” said Professor David Dunstan, head of physical activity at Baker IDI, “so it is not surprising that many Australians are not fully aware of just how much time they actually spend sitting.

“The findings reinforce the challenge of raising awareness about the hazards associated with too much sitting. On a positive note, we are already seeing some organisations take steps to reduce time spent sitting at work through changes to building design and the reshaping of workplace cultures.”