Science Reveals What Sitting All Day at Work Actually Does to Your Body

But there’s a problem: What many of the outlets did not report was that sitting for long periods did not explicitly cause cancer: It led to an increased risk of two specific types of the disease. These two types also happen to be linked to being overweight and obese, behaviors that are associated with sedentary behavior.

Here’s what the researchers actually found: After reviewing 43 studies, the researchers, who published their study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, discovered that people who sat for long periods of time had a higher chance of developing colon and endometrial cancer. The more time they spent on their butts, the more their risk increased.

In fact, for every additional two hours someone spent sitting, the researchers reported an 8% increase in their risk for developing colon cancer and a 10% increased risk for endometrial cancer.

So what is risk, anyway, and why does it matter? The 66% increase that TIME boasted in its headline sounds huge.

What that figure doesn’t include is the overall risk of developing the two types of cancer that the study found to be associated with more sitting time. For example, this table shows the percentage of American men who developed colon cancer over 10-, 20- and 30-year periods according to their age between 2008 and 2010.

If you’re a 30-year-old man, your risk of developing colon cancer by the time you turn 60 is just under 1%.

According to the study, every two-hour increase in sitting time led to an 8% increase in the risk for developing colon cancer.

click image to enlarge

So, theoretically, if you’re a man that spends eight hours sitting at the office each day and you were to start sitting for only six of them, you could decrease your colon cancer risk by about .08%.


As for the allegation that sitting causes breast cancer? That’s a conclusion the researchers who did the study explicitly did not find.


We know sitting is bad for us. Too much sedentary time can have dozens of unintended long-term consequences, from higher rates of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, to immediate effects such as strained and sore muscles.

Bonnie Berkowitz and Patterson Clark made an awesome infographic of all the health problems someone can develop just by spending too much time in a chair.

Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system, study finds

A person’s entire immune system can be rejuvenated by fasting for as little as three days as it triggers the body to start producing new white blood cells, a study suggests

Researchers say fasting “flips a regenerative switch” which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells

Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as “remarkable”.

Although fasting diets have been criticised by nutritionists for being unhealthy, new research suggests starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection.

Scientists at the University of Southern California say the discovery could be particularly beneficial for people suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients on chemotherapy.

It could also help the elderly whose immune system becomes less effective as they age, making it harder for them to fight off even common diseases.

The researchers say fasting “flips a regenerative switch” which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system.

5 Delicious Foods for Hair Growth

Beauty comes from within. So make sure you're feeding your body these hair growth meals.

We do a lot to take care of our hair.

Just take a look in your bathroom at all the various products you’ve invested in to keep your curls in pristine condition. But, all those things work from the outside in -- not the other way around.

Many people forget that you can affect the health of your hair by intentionally improving your eating and intake habits. Learn the ways you can fortify your coils from the inside out to gain moisture, retain length and boost your locks' natural luster. Luckily, your taste buds will enjoy it too.

5 FOODS FOR HEALTHY HAIR

Kale & Spinach

Spinach and Kale are incredibly nutritious and beneficial veggies to add to your regular diet.

Because these powerhouse greens are high in vitamin C, vitamin K and calcium, they help to strengthen your hair.

Plus, thanks to their high water content, they provide your hair with moisture and contribute to its overall appearance.

8 Things Your Hair Says About Your Health

When it comes to our hair, most of us worry most about what to do with it: how short to cut it, how to style it, whether to color it once it begins to go gray. But experts say that our hair says a lot more about us than how closely we follow the latest styles. In fact, the health of our hair and scalp can be a major tip-off to a wide variety of health conditions.

"We used to think hair was just dead protein, but now we understand that a whole host of internal conditions affect the health of our hair," says dermatologist Victoria Barbosa, MD, who runs Millennium Park Dermatology in Chicago. "Our hair responds to stress, both the physical stressors of disease and underlying health issues, and psychological stress." Here, eight red flags that tell you it's time to pay more attention to the health of your hair -- and to your overall health in general.

Red flag #1: Dry, limp, thin-feeling hair

What it means: Many factors can lead to over-dry hair, including hair dyes, hair blowers, and swimming in chlorinated water. But a significant change in texture that leaves hair feeling finer, with less body, can be an indicator of an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism. Some people conclude that their hair is thinning because it feels as if there's less of it, but the thinning is due more to the texture of the hair itself becoming finer and weaker than to individual hairs falling out (though that happens too).
More clues: Other signs of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, slow heart rate, and feeling cold all the time, says Raphael Darvish, a dermatologist in Brentwood, California. In some cases, the eyebrows also thin and fall out. A telltale sign: when the outermost third of the eyebrow thins or disappears.
What to do: Report your concerns to your doctor and ask him or her to check your levels of thyroid hormone. The most common blood tests measure the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and T4. It's also important to keep a list of your symptoms -- all of them.
"A doctor's visit is best to work up this problem; he or she may choose to do a thyroid ultrasound and a blood test in addition to an examination," says Darvish.

18 Things Your Feet Say About Your Health

The state of your feet can yield unexpected clues to your overall health 

Want to make a simple, ten-second check on the state of your health? Sneak a peek at your feet.

"You can detect everything from diabetes to nutritional deficiencies just by examining the feet," says Jane Andersen, DPM, president of the American Association of Women Podiatrists and a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association.

The lowly left and right provide plenty of insightful data: Together they contain a quarter of the body's bones, and each foot also has 33 joints; 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments; and countless nerves and blood vessels that link all the way to the heart, spine, and brain.

Unresolved foot problems can have unexpected consequences. Untreated pain often leads a person to move less and gain weight, for example, or to shift balance in unnatural ways, increasing the chance of falling and breaking a bone.

So when the feet send one of these 18 warning messages, they mean business.

1. Red flag: Toenails with slightly sunken, spoon-shaped indentations

What it means: Anemia (iron deficiency) often shows up as an unnatural, concave or spoonlike shape to the toes' nail beds, especially in moderate-to-severe cases. It's caused by not having enough hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein in the blood cells that transports oxygen. Internal bleeding (such as an ulcer) or heavy menstrual periods can trigger anemia.

More clues: On fingers as well as toes, the skin and nail beds both appear pale. The nails may also be brittle, and feet may feel cold. Fatigue is the number-one sign of anemia, as are shortness of breath, dizziness when standing, and headache.

What to do: A complete blood count is usually used to diagnose anemia. A physical exam may pinpoint a cause. First-step treatments include iron supplements and dietary changes to add iron and vitamin C (which speeds iron absorption).

2. Red flag: Hairless feet or toes

What it means: Poor circulation, usually caused by vascular disease, can make hair disappear from the feet. When the heart loses the ability to pump enough blood to the extremities because of arteriosclerosis (commonly known as hardening of the arteries), the body has to prioritize its use. Hairy toes are, well, low on the totem pole.

More clues: The reduced blood supply also makes it hard to feel a pulse in the feet. (Check the top of the foot or the inside of the ankle.) When you stand, your feet may be bright red or dusky; when elevated, they immediately pale. The skin is shiny. People with poor circulation tend to already know they have a cardiovascular condition (such as heart disease or a carotid artery) yet may not realize they have circulation trouble.

What to do: Treating the underlying vascular issues can improve circulation. Toe hair seldom returns, but nobody complains much.

7 Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health

Be alert to these warning signs of trouble. 

Some messages coming out of your mouth bypass the vocal chords. Turns out that your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues also have plenty to say -- about your overall health.

"Your mouth is connected to the rest of your body," says Anthony Iacopino, dean of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. "What we see in the mouth can have a significant effect on other organ systems and processes in the body. And the reverse is also true: Things that are going on systemically in the body can manifest in the mouth."

So stay attuned to the following warning messages, and have worrisome symptoms checked out by a dentist or doctor.

Sign of: Big-time stress
Many people are surprised to learn they're tooth-grinders. After all, they do this in their sleep, when they're not aware of it. And they underestimate the physical toll that stress can place on the body. "Crunching and grinding the teeth at night during sleep is a common sign of emotional or psychological stress," says Iacopino.
You can sometimes see the flatness on your own teeth, or feel it with the tongue. Or the jaw may ache from the clenching.


What else to look for: Headaches, which are caused by spasms in the muscles doing the grinding. Sometimes the pain can radiate from the mouth and head down to the neck and upper back, Iacopino says. Mouth guards used at night can relieve the symptoms and protect teeth.

9 Grammatical Mistakes That Instantly Reveal People's Ignorance

All it takes is a single tweet or text for some people to reveal their poor grasp of the English language.

Homophones — words that sound alike but are spelled differently — can be particularly pesky.

Regardless, you should never choose incorrectly in these nine situations:

1. "Your" vs. "You're"

"Your" is a possessive pronoun, while "you're" is a contraction of "you are."

Example 1: You're pretty. 

Example 2: Give me some of your whiskey.

2. "It's" vs. "Its"

Normally, an apostrophe symbolizes possession, as in, "I took the dog's bone." But because apostrophes also replace omitted letters — as in "don't" — the "it's" vs. "its" decision gets complicated. 

Use "its" as the possessive pronoun and "it's" for the shortened version of "it is."

Example 1: The dog chewed on its bone.

Example 2: It's raining.

3. "Then" vs. "Than"

"Then" conveys time, while "than" is used for comparison. 

Example 1: We left the party and then went home.

Example 2: We would rather go home than stay at the party.

4. "There" vs. "They're" vs. "Their"

"There" is a location. "Their" is a possessive pronoun. And "they're" is a contraction of "they are."

Use them wisely. 

5. "We're" vs. "Were"

"We're" is a contraction of "we are" and "were" is the past tense of "are."

6. "Affect" vs. "Effect"

"Affect" is a verb and "effect" is a noun.

There are, however, rare exceptions. For example, someone can "effect change" and "affect" can be a psychological symptom. 

Example: How did that affect you? 

Example: What effect did that have on you?

7. "Two" vs. "Too" vs. "To"

"Two" is a number. 

"To" is a preposition. It's used to express motion, although often not literally, toward a person, place, or thing.

And "too" is a synonym for "also."

8. "Into" vs. "In To"

Are "Creative" Thinkers More Unethical?

You might not want the finance staff to head back to work immediately after that big brainstorming session. And come to think of it, you may want to discourage the brainstorming altogether.

That's because a working paper by Francesca Gino of Harvard Business School and Dan Ariely of Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, titled, "The Dark Side of Creativity: Original Thinkers Can Be More Dishonest," shows that after being primed to think creatively, people are more likely to act unethically.

Equally as disheartening is the finding that people who are already more creative than others are more likely to act dishonestly. The authors of the study say creativity helps people find new and interesting ways to break rules, and to come up with unique ways to justify their unethical actions after the fact.

To be sure, creativity has many well-documented benefits for businesses. Other studies have shown that investments in creativity and innovation positively impact organizational performance, and that 'creative' products generate a higher return than products that are considered common.

The authors say theirs is the first study to show an empirical relationship between creativity and dishonesty.

Dishonesty in the Research Lab
The researchers conducted four different experiments, each using between 71 and 111 students as subjects. The researchers relied upon commonly-used tests of creativity, such as questionnaires asking the students how well different adjectives described them (insightful, resourceful, unconventional) and asking them to solve hypothetical problems designed to produce a creative frame of mind. (In one example, students were presented with a picture of a candle, matches, and a box of tacks sitting on a table next to a cardboard wall. They were then asked to figure out, using only these objects, how to attach the candle to the wall in such a way that the candle burns properly and does not drop wax on the table or the floor.)

Next, subjects were asked to look a series of squares, each divided diagonally into triangles. The researchers then flashed a bunch of dots onto each square, and asked students to tell them if more dots were in the left-hand triangle or the right. For every time a student answered "left" they got half a cent, and for every time they answered "right" they got five cents. In half the trials it was obvious which side had more dots, and in half it was ambiguous. The students who had highly creative personalities cheated significantly more than students with less creative personalities; so did the students who had been 'primed' to think creatively.

Creatives Make Ethical Short Cuts

While this situation may seem overly hypothetical, the researchers followed it up by asking 99 people who worked at an ad agency how much creativity was required for their job. They then asked how likely they'd be to do things such as taking home office supplies, inflating their expense report, or telling their boss they'd make progress on an assignment when in reality no progress had been made. Employees who needed to be more creative in their jobs, and in departments where more creativity was required, were significantly more likely to behave dishonestly.

As for the dripping-candle problem? One solution is to empty the box of tacks and tack it to the wall, then place the candle on top of it. Some 47% of students who had been primed to think creatively figured this out, compared to 27% who had not been primed.

Do you find that the "creatives" in your office have morals that are more, shall we say, flexible? 

Lead Like Santa: 6 Immutable Principles

Santa’s mission is simple: Spread good cheer and make people happy. 

Simple enough, right? Oh, if it were only so…

Upon reflection, the problem with this over-simplified mission statement is that Santa’s job is not simple at all! It is very complex and fraught with unimaginable difficulties.

Santa’s Mission

The mission that Santa is on is daunting:

• Multiple time zones
• A narrow window of execution
• Extreme weather conditions
• Dealing with Reindeer and Elves (little people)
• Personalized merchandise
• A most finicky clientele (ever-changing demographics of absolute believers, skeptics, form-believers and naysayers.)
• Oh, and this: “Failure is not an option!“

Only an adroit and seasoned leader of exceptional capacity can deliver the goods (goodies) year after year.

So what is Santa’s secret? Read on!

Lead Like Santa

While participating in a recent Air War College-sponsored Reindeer and Claus Studies (RCS) trip to the North Pole, students from the Air War College experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour Santa’s World Headquarters.

Santa was busy–he is always busy–but he made time to sit down with our group. After sharing a generous offering of milk and cookies, he offered some insights into his success as a leader.

He did not look like any leader I know, but when he began to speak, I noticed a twinkle in his eye and redness in his cheeks.

He was authentic. He was in his element. His message, albeit simple, was direct and to the point.

I did my best to capture every word, but my hands were freezing. Sage advice straight from the big guy’s mouth:

Santa’s Six Immutable Principles of Leadership

1. Be Steady and Consistent

Santa cannot have a bad day. He maintains a “Ho-Ho-Ho” attitude in all he does. It is infectious. His steady demeanor underpins a healthy work environment for his Elves.

Santa uniquely balances the need to be jolly with a focused determination to get the job done.

He message is consistent: “the right toy, to the right child, in the nick of time, every time.” Everyone shares the vision, everyone is on the team.

2. Lead by Example

Santa is a mentor for want-to-be ‘helpers’ all over the world. He works hard to maintain his unfitness; no child wants to sit on a skinny Santa’s lap.

He never asks his Elves to do anything that he has not done himself a thousand times before.

Moreover, he walks the walk of a leader by assuming personal risk to deliver those presents to deserving boys and girls. He sets the pace, he sets the example, and he leads from the front.

3. Reward Good Performance

Santa knows his reindeer and he knows who is naughty and nice. He rewards good performance. Results matter, they matter a lot. At the North Pole good performance is rewarded, good performance is the standard.

4. Have a Personal Touch

Santa reads every letter written by every child. He chooses the right toy and delivers that toy personally. Santa might delegate authority to get things done, but the responsibility is his alone.

5. Never Quit

Santa never gives up. One year he had to think ‘out of the box’ when confronted with a thick fog that blinded his veteran reindeer team. Santa, in a moment of genius, put Rudolph, an upstart, at the front of his sleigh, making it possible to navigate from the iridescent glow radiating from the young reindeer’s nose.

Santa, in his typical manner, gave all the credit to Rudolph. Enough said.

6. Check everything twice

Not one to micromanage, yet nothing is left to chance. Imagine a good child being left off of Santa’s list, or worse yet, a bad child receiving an undeserved present.

Santa leads with a light touch, but he knows how to ask the right questions, and when to get involved.

Believe and Achieve

The long flight back to Maxwell Air Force Base allowed time to ruminate over Santa’s message. His leadership style is not flashy (except for his red clothes, red sleigh and reindeer team) but grounded in centuries of experience overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Santa is the leader we all strive to become. 

His principles work; one must simply believe.

Merry Christmas!