The Sit-down Generation.

Sit-down-itis

Okay, I’ve been doing some research into sit-down-itis; the scourge of modern society. Also the scourge of the modern gut. And the modern thunder-thigh. Initial scientific findings would suggest that as a population we’ve become… fat, lazy, pigs. Er, I mean less active than we once were. You may have missed it. In short, we have a propensity for stillness. Lack of movement. Stagnation. Let me know if I’m getting too technical for you. I’ll slow it down a bit.

The medical and scientific types would tell you that our overall levels of incidental and occupational activity have been steadily declining for decades; which is geek-speak for… we sit on our asses more than ever.

The good old days – when we moved

Contrary to popular belief, our current obesity epidemic may not be because we’re consuming mountains of extra calories; it could well be because we’re expending mountains less. Yep, the average chubby Aussie expends about 800 calories less per day than he/she did one hundred years ago. I’m guessing the figure would be similar in the States and the U.K. but I’m not certain on that. Interestingly, the average Aussie only consumes about 5% more calories than his or her counterparts of fifty years ago. In truth, we hardly eat any more food than our grandparents did (although the quality of the food is a completely different discussion).

An Interesting Hypothetical

Let’s assume that an individual is eating no more food (that is, they have the same calorie intake) this year compared to what they ate last year. Let’s also assume that they have dropped their energy expenditure (via increased sitting perhaps) by the above-mentioned 800 calories per day. That would mean that this year (everything else being equal) they will expend 292,000 LESS calories than they did last year while maintaining the same calorie intake. With me?

Now, we know that 3,500 unused calories equate to one pound (0.45 kgs) of additional body-fat (remembering that fat is stored energy – unused calories), so when we divide those 292,000 calories by 3,500, we discover that our subject can effortlessly gain 83.4 lbs (40 kgs) of additional body-fat in one year without increasing his or her food intake by one single calorie!!!

Twinkie anyone?

While ‘Mr and Mrs 1908′ took about 20,000 steps per day on average, these days ‘Mr and Mrs office worker’ typically inhabit the 3 – 5,000 steps range. Take a look at how many people spend their average day…

Hypothetical day: (hours in brackets)

11.00 – 6.45 sleep (7.45)
7.15 – 7.45 sit for breakfast (.5)
8.00 – 8.30 sit while traveling (.5)
9.00 – 12.30 sit at desk (3.5)
12.40 – 1.25 sit for lunch (.75)
1.30 – 5.00 sit at desk (3.5)
5.15 – 6.00 sit while traveling (.75)
7.00 – 7.30 sit for dinner (.5)
7.30 – 11.00 sit to watch TV (3.5)

Total time spent sitting or lying: 21.25 hours (90.6% of the 24-hour period)

Total time spent walking or standing: 2.75 hours (9.4%)

While the above example may seem to be extreme and unlikely, it isn’t. It’s way more typical than you might think. At our current rate of progression, we’ll all weigh six hundred and fifty seven pounds and move for three minutes a day by 2015.

Okay, I made the last bit up.
But then, who knows?

Doing those equations and figuring out all those percentages has made me tired. I think I need to sit down for a while.
Hang on… I am!

Enjoy your chair.

Share your thoughts with me on the sit-down generation by clicking on the comment thingy.

Ciao x