Diet Study Who stands more, decreases more

The calorie consumption increases when standing

In today's world, people often do not move enough and spend too much time sitting down. This is mostly due to their work and their habits at home, for example, when they spend their time in front of the TV. Researchers have now found that if people are standing for six hours a day instead of sitting, it will lead to weight loss in the long run.

Mayo Clinic scientists have found in their recent study that prolonged standing per day contributes to weight reduction. Also, the problems with back pain decrease. The experts published their findings in the English-language journal "European Journal of Preventive Cardiology".

Many people want to lose weight or suffer from back pain. More about standing leads, according to a recent study, that people burn more calories and back pain is avoided or reduced. (Picture: Picture-Factory / fotolia.com)

Office workers sometimes sit ten to eleven hours a day

When people work in the office, they usually spend their time sitting there. After work, this behavior then continues. A German office worker can thus come to a daily time of ten or eleven hours, which he spends sitting down. This not only has a negative effect on the back, but also has an impact on the weight of those affected.

46 percent of the working population in Germany are predominantly at work

In recent years, sitting is identified as an important factor in the epidemic of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, explains study author Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez. For example, research has found that many US adults sit more than seven hours a day. The range in the European countries amounts to approximately between 3.2 hours and 6.8 hours daily. In 2016, the DKV health report on this topic found that 46 percent of working people are predominantly at work.

The data of 1,184 participants were evaluated for the investigation

The Mayo Clinic study is the first systematic review that uses a meta-analysis (combining data from multiple studies) to assess whether standing in adults burns more calories than sitting. The researchers analyzed a total of 46 studies with 1,184 participants. The participants in the study were on average 33 years old, with an average weight of 65 kilograms.

By standing, people could lose about ten kilograms in four years

When all available scientific evidence is gathered and evaluated, the results show that more calories are burned while standing than when sitting. Farzane Saeidifard of the Mayo Clinic. The researchers calculated that the body burns 0.15 calories (Kcal) more per minute when standing than when sitting. So, if a person weighing about 65 kg works six hours a day instead of sitting, he or she could burn 54 calories (kcal) more. Without an additional increase in food intake, this would mean that those affected lose just under 2.5 kilograms of weight in one year. Over a period of four years, this would mean that the person would lose about ten kilograms.

Standing burns more calories and increases muscle activity

Not only does standing more burn more calories, it also requires additional muscle activity in the body. Such increased muscle activity reduces the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, Dr. Lopez-Jimenez. Standing strong also the back and this could reduce back pain. The positive effects of standing thus go well beyond weight loss, the expert adds.

Physical activity protects against heart disease

Working in a standing position for a long time may seem uncomfortable for most adults, especially if they are working at a desk. But even halving sitting time would bring great health benefits, say the authors. A transformation of jobs in the direction of standing could therefore bring significant benefits. In recent years, the integration of physical activity into daily working life has been promoted to maintain good health and reduce weight. It also aims to reduce the risk of heart attack and other heart disease Lopez-Jimenez.

Further research is needed

Other studies are needed to further explore the long-term health effects of replacing sitting by standing, the medical profession says. The so-called non-exercise-activity thermogenesis, known as NEAT, focuses on the daily calories that a person burns during normal activities, not during exercise. Standing is one of the components of NEAT. Integrating additional activity into our daily routine could improve our health in the long run, explains author Dr. Lopez-Jimenez.

Men burned about twice as many calories

The researchers also found in their study that calorie burned by standing was about twice as high in men compared to women. This is probably due to the effect of greater muscle mass in men. The burning of calories is proportional to the muscle mass, which is activated when standing, explain the scientists. (As)