How Sitting For Long Hours At Desk Job Leads To Silent Cancer Risk No One Talks About; Know From Doctor

For decades, smoking was seen as the biggest lifestyle-linked cancer risk. Today, health experts are increasingly sounding the alarm about a quieter threat: prolonged sitting. Nowadays, people spend continuous time seated without breaks, which has become a standard practice in workplaces that involve desk work and remote operations and extended periods of viewing screens. The practice of sitting for extended periods without breaks has reached a point where experts treat it as a modern-day carcinogenic substance, which creates internal health conditions that enable diseases to progress before symptoms appear.

Prolonged periods of sitting have been linked to a disruption in the metabolic rate and an increase in insulin levels and inflammation, which are the silent precursors to cancer-causing tumours such as colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, endometrial cancer, and lung cancer. In conversation with The Daily Jagran, Dr Kushal Agrawal, Associate Consultant- Surgical Oncology, Aster Whitefield Hospital states how sitting for long hours can lead to silent cancer risk.

How Prolonged Sitting Alters the Body

Metabolism shows a decline together with reduced muscle movement when people spend prolonged periods sitting which affects their leg muscles that include their major muscle groups. Dr Kushal Agrawal states, “The body experiences reduced glucose absorption combined with higher insulin resistance and increased blood fat levels.” The body establishes inflammation through these changes, which develops into a continuous state that acts as a known risk factor for various types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.

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Research has established that individuals who spend more than 8–10 hours sitting each day face an increased risk of developing metabolic disorders, which persists despite their regular exercise routine. The body needs to work out every day because extended sitting periods create permanent harm that requires efforts to be undone.

The Cancer Connection: What’s The Link?

Sitting itself does not cause cancer cells to form, but creates a biological environment which increases cancer development possibilities. Reduced physical movement affects hormone regulation, especially insulin and estrogen levels. Dr Kushal Agrawal states, “The combination of elevated insulin levels and excess body fat creates a strong connection which increases cancer risk.” The body loses its ability to identify and destroy abnormal cells because poor circulation and decreased immune surveillance make it harder to detect.

Sitting For Long Hours Is New Carcinogen (Image Credits: Canva)

Sedentary behaviour is also associated with weight gain, fatty liver disease, and gut motility issues, all of which are increasingly linked to cancer risk.

Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Modifiable risk factors present an advantage because they can be changed. The harmful effects of sitting can be reduced through people standing up after every 30 to 45 minutes and taking brief walking breaks and stretching and using sit-stand desks and adding movement throughout their everyday activities. The human body experiences improved blood flow and metabolic restoration from even minimal physical exercise.

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The label "new carcinogen", which experts apply to extended sitting, implies more than just creating public panic because it serves as a warning to people. In contemporary society, which requires constant, unmoving work, people must practice deliberate bodily movement as their primary method of maintaining health. The practice of interrupting periods of sitting stands as one of the easiest yet most neglected methods which people can use to achieve both cancer prevention and better health.