The Hazard of Inactivity

 

As many as 50 million Americans are living sedentary lives, putting them at increased risk of health
problems and early death, says the American Psychological Association. In a long-term study of more than 40,000 adults, 16 percent of deaths were directly related to sedentary living.

This percentage did not include deaths complicated by other illnesses such as obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Plain and simple, a lack of
exercise was the culprit. Men with moderate levels of exercise on average lived six years longer than sedentary men.

Close examination of more than 14,000 women showed that active women were 55 percent less likely to die of breast cancer than women who were not in good shape.

This was after researchers had controlled for Body Mass Index,
smoking, family history of breast cancer, and other possible risks.

Source: www.apa.org/releases/sedentary-lives.html.

From September 2009 Newsletter

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