Sitting down for too long can cause fat to build around body's organs: Study

Do you sit down for a large part of your day? A new study warns that is not a good thing.

Sitting down causes fat to build around the body's organs, the Daily Mail reported. Researchers found that those people who spent a good portion of their time sitting, showed higher levels of visceral and total abdominal fat.

High amounts of this fat can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. It is also linked to cancer, heart disease and stroke.

For the study, researchers used MRI scans to examine 124 participants were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. To monitor how much time people spend sitting, they used an electromechanical device.

"Using MRI techniques and physical activity monitors we have shown that the more time spent sedentary, the stronger the association with higher levels of internal and abdominal fat," lead author of the study, Dr Joe Henson at the University of Leicester, told the Daily Mail.

The study's findings are troubling especially as many of us spend our time sitting at work and stress the need to work out when we can.

"We know that spending long periods of time sedentary is unhealthy and a risk factor for chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease," Dr Joe Henson told the Daily Mail. Adding, "Likewise, the amount of fat deposited around our internal organs may also predispose us to these diseases."

The study was originally published in the journal Obesity.