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David Katz, M.D.: A Matter of Minutes There has been a steady and resonant drumbeat of news lately, rapping out the profound health benefits of even modest physical activity. I think we can, and should, all pick our preferred drummer, and find a way to march to it. Among the more noteworthy news items was a Lancet paper some weeks ago indicating that physical inactivity now ranks as one of the top causes of premature death globally. We have long known it made the short list here in the U.S., but a marquee role in worldwide mortality was an eye-opening revelation. We also had recent research telling us that sitting too much was killing us, and just getting up and off our backsides routinely could serve as an antidote. More specifically, an article in the British Medical Journal indicated that reducing daily time on our tushes to less than three hours could add two years, on average, to our life expectancies. Both doses of physical activity significantly improved insulin sensitivity, suggesting diabetes prevention over time.