Sitting a major driver in obesity for men, not so much for women

CHICAGO, Ill. (WPVI) -- Eating too much? Drinking sugary beverages? Skipping the gym?

These are the things we usually associate with weight gain.

But what about simply sitting down.

A new CDC study points to evidence that the more time they spend sitting, the more likely they are to be fat.

In fact, men who sat 100% of the time compared to men who didn't sit at all were at least twice as likely to be obese.

These days, the average person spends more than half of their day sitting down.

In a study led by the Cooper Institute in Texas, a famed weight loss research center, found that men who sit more are more likely to be fat.

Men who sat all the time at work and home had twice the obesity as men who were up.

And that was regardless of blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels.

Oddly enough, the finding didn't hold true for women!

And the authors say maybe doctors need to rethink how they advise men about sitting time.

They might talk about the RISKS of sitting, not just the BENEFITS of physical activity.

There are other risks to sitting for women.

So no matter who you are, the first step to being fit may be to cut back on how much you sit.