http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/mortarbo..._fat_kids.html

Never mind kicking a football around after school, writes Alexandra Smith snacking on something other than crisps and chocolate or turning off the TV. It seems researchers have a solution to the childhood obesity crisis- axe school chairs and make chubby kids stand.

A British expert on obesity, James Levine, a medical consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, in the US, has been looking at the link between chairs and obesity.

A study published last year led by Dr Levine showed that thin people were on their feet an average of 152 more minutes a day than their chubby counterparts. Now he is taking his standing-room only theory to the classroom.

His researchers recently asked a class of volunteers aged between 10 and 12 from a nearby school to spend a week standing rather than sitting. The pupils spent five hours a day on their feet, a position that burns three times as many calories as sitting down.

Dr Levine said the idea was wel

First as a student and now as a lawyer, I've detested sitting at my desk hour after hour. It's bad for my posture, bad for my circulation, and I swear I can feel my muscles atrophy as the years go by. However, ever since Donald Rumsfeld's famous quote revealing that he, in fact, prefers to stand and work at a podium, I have felt emboldened to forget my colleagues opinions and ditch the chair and desk regime. I now stand and work at a draftsman's table and I can honestly say I have never felt better in my life. My posture has improved, I feel more alert, I am more productive, my back has stopped aching at the end of the day, and I have noticably better muscle tone in my legs, back, and abdomen. I keep a pair of flat shoes in my office to wear while I am working, and switch to less comfortable but more professional shoes when I have meetings with clients. I would encourage anyone to try it -
Posted by Bella on March 28, 2006 05:46 PM.
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