A comparison of the sitting habits of 518 overweight or obese post-menopausal women whose age averaged 63 found that Hispanic women sat an average of about eight and a half hours daily compared to non-Hispanic women who averaged more than nine hours. The study showed that for these women each additional hour of sitting daily was linked with more than six percent higher fasting insulin and more than seven percent increase in insulin resistance, a strong risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The study was designed to determine whether any identified health outcomes associated with prolonged sitting varied by ethnicity. It showed that the effects of time spent sitting fasting glucose may be greater in Hispanic women than in non-Hispanic women, although the authors said confirmation in larger studies is needed. Lead researcher Dorothy D. Sears, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the Arizona State University College of Health Solutions in Phoenix, said the findings build upon earlier research showing that too much time spent in sedentary behaviors are linked with a higher risk for diabetes and heart disease. She added that engaging in physical activities, even cooking and shopping, show favorable associations with reduced risk of death and prevention of heart disease and stroke.

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