Sedentary time spent sitting, watching TV may increase colon cancer risk

Sitting in front of the TV for as little as one hour a day can increase your risk of bowel cancer.

(Web Desk) – New international research has revealed that sedentary time spent sitting and watching TV may increase the risk of colon cancer, even in those under 50.

Sitting in front of the TV for as little as one hour a day can increase your risk of bowel cancer; but those who lazed in front of the TV for two hours a day or more had nearly a 70 per cent increased risk.

Carried out by a team of experts, the new study looked at data gathered from 89,278 American women taking part in the Nurses’ Health Study II, a long-term US health study which looks into the risk factors for major chronic diseases in women.

The researchers focused on the women’s sedentary TV reviewing time, as well as other sedentary behaviors, to look at a possible link between prolonged sitting time and young-onset colorectal cancer, which is diagnosed under the age 50.

The findings, reported in the journal JNCI Cancer Spectrum, state that women who watched more TV were more frequently postmenopausal, smoked more cigarettes, had a higher rate of diabetes, more frequently used aspirin, were less physically active, and had generally poorer diets.

 We observed no clear increase in risk for other forms of sitting at home, such as meal time or time spent at a desk,  the authors wrote.