At least an hour of physical activity a day may be required to offset the harmful effects of sitting at a desk for eight hours,

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问题    At least an hour of physical activity a day may be required to offset the harmful effects of sitting at a desk for eight hours, according to the latest study to highlight the harm of a desk-bound lifestyle. The World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline, adopted by PHE (Public Health England), recommends 150 minutes of exercise a week but research, based on data from more than one million people, suggests that is insufficient for many.
   A team of international experts found that the risk of dying during a follow-up period of two to 18 years was 9.9% for those who sat for eight or more hours a day and engaged in low activity, compared with 6.8% for those who sat for less than four hours a day and were active for at least one hour a day.
   But they also found that the increased risk of death associated with sitting for eight hours a day was eliminated for people who did a minimum of one hour of physical activity a day. Lead author Prof Ulf Ekelund, from the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and Cambridge University, said: "You don’t need to do sport; you don’t need to go to the gym. It’s OK doing some brisk walking, maybe in the morning, during lunchtime, after dinner in the evening. You can split it up over the day, but you need to do at least one hour."
   The paper, published in the Lancet on Wednesday, analysed data from 16 previous studies, mainly involving people aged over 45 from the USA, Western Europe and Australia. The authors found that one hour of "moderate intensity" exercise, such as walking at 5.6 km/h or cycling for pleasure at 16 km/h, was enough to offset the ill effects of sitting for long periods.
   Ekelund acknowledged that work pressures made taking lengthy breaks—the legal minimum in the UK is one 20-minute break—unrealistic for some. But he also said a five-minute break at work every hour, even to go to the printer, would be beneficial and said it was in employers’ interests to facilitate culture change.
   Another study, published in the Lancet on Wednesday as part of the same series, estimates that physical inactivity costs the global economy $67.5bn (S51.5bn) per year—the UK equivalent is £1.7bn— comprising $58.8bn in healthcare and $13.7bn in lost productivity.
   Independent experts who reviewed Ekelund and team’s research said it was encouraging that it suggested desk-bound time could be mitigated. Dr Erika Borkoles, senior lecturer in sports science at Bournemouth University, said: "People who sit for longer hours should be concerned and could take the findings of this research as an opportunity to be proactive."
   A WHO spokesman said: "Recommendations related to sitting and inactivity are not available yet. However, WHO already recommends governments implement policy actions around making environments where people live and work more conducive to physical activity." PHE said even 10-minute bursts of activity could be beneficial.
   Ekelund and his team found that sitting watching TV for over three hours per day was also associated with an increased risk of death during the follow-up period, except among the most active.
   [A] has created conditions and environments for people to work out.
   [B] suggests two-and-a-half-hour physical exercise per week.
   [C] indicates that even a short time of exercise can do some good.
   [D] has collected data from previous studies on middleagers’ exercise habits.
   [E] admits that it’s difficult for some working people to get ample rest.
   [F] has printed a research paper on the negative effects of physical inactivity.
   [G] thinks desk-bound people should respond aggressively to the research finding.
PHE

选项

答案C

解析 PHE出现在第一段和倒数第二段,解题句在倒数第二段。该段末句中,PHE称即便是突然花上10分钟做一下运动也是有益的。C中的a short time of exercise对应文中的10-minute bursts of activity,而do some good则是原文be beneficial的同义表达,C项和文意相符,故为本题答案。
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