Screen Time, Other Sedentary Behaviours, and Obesity Risk in Adults: A Review of Reviews

Overview

Journal Curr Obes Rep

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2017 Apr 20

PMID 28421472

Citations 90

Authors

Stuart J H Biddle

Enrique Garcia Bengoechea

Zeljko Pedisic

Jason Bennie

Ineke Vergeer

Glen Wiesner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this paper is to assess the association between sedentary behaviours, including screen time, and risk of obesity in adults. A review of 10 systematic reviews was undertaken.

Recent Findings: Available evidence is generally not supportive of associations between sedentary behaviour and obesity in adults. Most studies that found significant associations indicated mostly small effect sizes. Somewhat more consistent associations were shown for screen time (mainly TV viewing), among older adults, and for pre-adult sedentary behaviour to increase the risk of obesity in adulthood. Some evidence also exists for breaks in sedentary time to be associated with a more favourable BMI, and for use of a car to be associated with greater risk of obesity. There is limited evidence for an association between sedentary behaviour in adulthood and obesity and any association that exists does not seem to be causal. Future research is required investigating potentially positive effects for frequent breaks from sitting, less car use, and an uncoupling of TV viewing and dietary intake.

Citing Articles

Anti-inflammatory diets might mitigate the association between sedentary behaviors and the risk of all-cause deaths.

Wang H, Zhou Z, Liu X, Chen Y Nutr Metab (Lond). 2025; 22(1):11.

PMID: 39953512 PMC: 11829396. DOI: 10.1186/s12986-025-00907-2.

Active transportation is associated with lower obesity risk: generalized structural equations model applied to physical activity.

Munoz F, Pou S, Solano H, Diaz M Cad Saude Publica. 2025; 40(12):e00035624.

PMID: 39813567 PMC: 11729384. DOI: 10.1590/0102-311XEN035624.

Association between sedentary behavior and bone mass, microstructure and strength in children, adolescents and young adults: a systematic review.

Wang L, Peng F, Zhang X, Liang L, Chi H BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):2991.

PMID: 39472834 PMC: 11520865. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20437-5.

The global burden of overweight-obesity and its association with economic status, benefiting from STEPs survey of WHO member states: A meta-analysis.

Islam A, Sultana H, Nazmul Hassan Refat M, Farhana Z, Kamil A, Rahman M Prev Med Rep. 2024; 46:102882.

PMID: 39290257 PMC: 11406007. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102882.

Relationship of work-related and leisure-based screen time with obesity: a cross-sectional study on adults including older adults.

Wakasa H, Kimura T, Hirata T, Tamakoshi A Endocrine. 2024; 87(1):170-177.

PMID: 39217208 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-024-04014-9.

References

Martin A, Fitzsimons C, Jepson R, Saunders D, van der Ploeg H, Teixeira P . Interventions with potential to reduce sedentary time in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2015; 49(16):1056-63. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-094524. View

Matthews C, Chen K, Freedson P, Buchowski M, Beech B, Pate R . Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors in the United States, 2003-2004. Am J Epidemiol. 2008; 167(7):875-81. PMC: 3527832. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwm390. View

Tucker L, Friedman G . Television viewing and obesity in adult males. Am J Public Health. 1989; 79(4):516-8. PMC: 1349993. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.79.4.516. View

Pedisic Z, Grunseit A, Ding D, Chau J, Banks E, Stamatakis E . High sitting time or obesity: Which came first? Bidirectional association in a longitudinal study of 31,787 Australian adults. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014; 22(10):2126-30. PMC: 4265269. DOI: 10.1002/oby.20817. View

Spence J, Rhodes R, Carson V . Challenging the Dual-Hinge Approach to Intervening on Sedentary Behavior. Am J Prev Med. 2016; 52(3):403-406. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.10.019. View

Rezende L, Rey-Lopez J, Matsudo V, Luiz O . Sedentary behavior and health outcomes among older adults: a systematic review. BMC Public Health. 2014; 14:333. PMC: 4021060. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-333. View

Troiano R, Berrigan D, Dodd K, Masse L, Tilert T, McDowell M . Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007; 40(1):181-8. DOI: 10.1249/mss.0b013e31815a51b3. View

Shrestha N, Pedisic Z, Neil-Sztramko S, Kukkonen-Harjula K, Hermans V . The Impact of Obesity in the Workplace: a Review of Contributing Factors, Consequences and Potential Solutions. Curr Obes Rep. 2016; 5(3):344-60. DOI: 10.1007/s13679-016-0227-6. View

Pearson N, Biddle S . Sedentary behavior and dietary intake in children, adolescents, and adults. A systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2011; 41(2):178-88. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2011.05.002. View

10.

Thorp A, Owen N, Neuhaus M, Dunstan D . Sedentary behaviors and subsequent health outcomes in adults a systematic review of longitudinal studies, 1996-2011. Am J Prev Med. 2011; 41(2):207-15. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2011.05.004. View

11.

Mansoubi M, Pearson N, Clemes S, Biddle S, Bodicoat D, Tolfrey K . Energy expenditure during common sitting and standing tasks: examining the 1.5 MET definition of sedentary behaviour. BMC Public Health. 2015; 15:516. PMC: 4448542. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1851-x. View

12.

Shea B, Grimshaw J, Wells G, Boers M, Andersson N, Hamel C . Development of AMSTAR: a measurement tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2007; 7:10. PMC: 1810543. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2288-7-10. View

13.

Hallal P, Andersen L, Bull F, Guthold R, Haskell W, Ekelund U . Global physical activity levels: surveillance progress, pitfalls, and prospects. Lancet. 2012; 380(9838):247-57. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60646-1. View

14.

Marshall S, Merchant G . Advancing the science of sedentary behavior measurement. Am J Prev Med. 2013; 44(2):190-1. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2012.11.001. View

15.

Neuhaus M, Eakin E, Straker L, Owen N, Dunstan D, Reid N . Reducing occupational sedentary time: a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence on activity-permissive workstations. Obes Rev. 2014; 15(10):822-38. DOI: 10.1111/obr.12201. View

16.

Hill A . THE ENVIRONMENT AND DISEASE: ASSOCIATION OR CAUSATION?. Proc R Soc Med. 1965; 58:295-300. PMC: 1898525. DOI: 10.1177/003591576505800503. View

17.

Hawari N, Al-Shayji I, Wilson J, Gill J . Frequency of Breaks in Sedentary Time and Postprandial Metabolic Responses. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016; 48(12):2495-2502. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001034. View

18.

Ng S, Popkin B . Time use and physical activity: a shift away from movement across the globe. Obes Rev. 2012; 13(8):659-80. PMC: 3401184. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00982.x. View

19.

ODonoghue G, Perchoux C, Mensah K, Lakerveld J, van der Ploeg H, Bernaards C . A systematic review of correlates of sedentary behaviour in adults aged 18-65 years: a socio-ecological approach. BMC Public Health. 2016; 16:163. PMC: 4756464. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-2841-3. View

20.

. Letter to the editor: standardized use of the terms "sedentary" and "sedentary behaviours". Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2012; 37(3):540-2. DOI: 10.1139/h2012-024. View