"Western intellectuals are all sitting-addicts. That's why most of you are repulsively unwholesome. In the past even a duke had to do a lot of walking, even a money-lender, even a metaphysician. And when they weren't using their legs, they were jogging about on horses. Whereas now, from the tycoon to the typist, from the logical positivist to the positive thinker, you spend nine-tenths of your time on foam rubber. Spongy seats for spongy bottoms - at home, in the office, in cars and bars, in planes and trains and buses. No moving of legs, no struggles with distance and gravity - just lifts and planes and cars, just foam rubber and an eternity of sitting." - Aldous Huxley, "Island", ch 9.
In the Western world the vast majority of the population is hopelessly addicted to sitting down. It is my firm belief that this has gone unrecognised now for too long, and it is high time that someone pointed it out.
Some lucky individuals in the Western world have managed to resist the temptation to sit constantly, but these individuals are few and far between. It is hoped that one of these individuals may become heroes for a new generation of "non-sitters".
Sitting can cause many direct and indirect health problems. Direct health problems are things like Piles, Haemorroids, Varicose Veins, Cellulite, Deep Veined Thrombosis, and in severe cases Death. Sitting can also been causally linked to Obesity, A secondary addiction to Television and Video-Games, Heart-Disease, Cancer and Boredom.
In most cases in the Westernised world, it is so bad that people dash on to a train, and then immediately look for a seat.
"Island", Aldous Huxley, 1962, Flamingo, ISBN 0-00-654734-6.
Documents