Study Links Inactivity to Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is an ever-increasing and insidious health risk. Studies in the past have linked the lack of physical activity to the risk of becoming diabetic. A new study conducted by Gibbs and his colleagues on 2,027 overweight people between the ages of 38 and 50 showed a definite correlation between a lack of daily physical activity and the increased risk of diabetes. Although certain elements of the study were critiqued by other professionals, the overall feeling was that the study once again demonstrated that being sedentary for up to 10 hours per day was a definitive factor in being at risk for developing diabetes. The study supported the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle as well as a lifestyle that limits inactivity. People who were sedentary for a minimum of 10 hours per day were more than twice as likely to end up with glucose tolerance issues leading to diabetes than people whose daily sedentary time was less than 6 hours per day. The study suggests that people with daily sedentary behavior can reduce their risk of developing glucose intolerance impairment and subsequently developing diabetes by adding a regimen of daily physical activity to their behavior.