reproduced from Discussion Group for Psychology and the Arts
by Norman Holland
date Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 6:27 AM
subject Sitting
For those of us who sit in front of our computers much of the day--
One Australian study showed that for every additional hour a woman sits in front of the TV, her risk of metabolic syndrome - a precursor to diabetes and cardiovascular disease - increases by 26%, irrespective of how much moderate exercise she does.
And the health of people who already do too little exercise will suffer even more if combined with prolonged bouts of sitting, say the authors.
More research is needed to establish a causal effect between prolonged sitting and ill health, say the authors, but some underlying mechanisms have already been identified, including an enzyme (lipoprotein lipase) that has a key role in the regulation of key blood fats.
Accordingly, the authors propose a new model or paradigm of “inactivity physiology” which recognises that sitting and non-muscular activity may independently boost the risk of ill health, and that sedentary behaviour is a distinct class of behaviour with specific consequences for ill health, which are not the same as those sparked by taking too little exercise.
The molecular and physiological responses of the body prompted by too much sitting cannot simply be cancelled out by taking additional exercise, say the authors.
“In the future, the focus in clinical practice and guidelines should not only be to promote and prescribe exercise, but also to encourage people to maintain their intermittent levels of daily activities [that involve movement],” they add. “Climbing the stairs, rather than using elevators and escalators, five minutes of break during sedentary work, or walking to the store rather than taking the car will be as important as exercise.”
Contact: Dr Elin Ekblom-Bak | posted by Unknown @ 1/25/2010 10:51:00 AM
1) not just "coverage" but care
2) for anyone
3) no matter what
from: http://oaklandnorth.net/2009/09/16/healthcare-reform-rally-brings-protesters-to-lake-merritt/trackback/
Healthcare reform rally brings protesters to Lake Merritt
by Laurel Moorhead and Becky Palmstrom /Oakland North
Dozens gathered at Lake Merritt in Oakland Sunday afternoon at a rally for healthcare reform. First-time protest organizer Jeremy Gameros from Healthcare Reform Now said he felt the momentum of people in support of a reform has dwindled and that he is eager to see those numbers pick back up. The small Oakland rally came the day after an anti-reform protest in Washington DC drew tens of thousands to the west lawn of the White House. Oakland protesters marched around the lake, prompting honks of support from cars and cheers from passersby. Organizers cited Centers for Disease Control statistics indicating that nearly 45 million Americans (1 in 7) lacked health insurance in 2008, and that health care costs are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy.
An audio slideshow from the event follows, plus an interview with one protester.
Lindsay Germain, below, is 25 years old and says she is unable to obtain health insurance. According to Germain, she left her job because the tendinitis she developed became so severe she could not fulfill her duties. After losing her health insurance through work she went in search of a plan on the individual market. Germain says three major health policy companies, including Kaiser Permanente, denied her coverage outright because of her preexisting condition. According to Lucy Johns, a healthcare planning and policy consultant, it is not illegal for insurance companies to deny individuals coverage outright for preexisting conditions. Click Play to hear Lindsay Germain’s story.
Labels: activism, health, polis, politics
| posted by Unknown @ 9/17/2009 08:46:00 AM
