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Key Publications March 1, 2011

Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and health: paradigm paralysis or paradigm shift?

Diabetes 2010;59:2717-25

Katzmarzyk PT

Description

The aim of this paper was to describe the actual consequences of the lack of physical activity as well as the strongly implemented sedentary behaviours which characterized the modern world. Studies conducted during the last 60 years have found a strong and independent link between physical activity and health which led to the current public health recommendations of 30 minutes per day or 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical actvity. However, it was reported that less than 5% of the population is meeting the recommended level of physical activity. The author therefore underlined the importance of increasing the efforts to promote regular physical activity practice. On the other hand, he also recommended that sedentary behaviours become a new target in public health recommendations due to the recent evidence showing an unfavourable and independent effect of sedentary behaviour on health. In his comment, Levine JA underlined the catastrophic consequences of the “modern chair-dependency” on physical health, but also the psychological and psychosocial effects.
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