There have been several recent reports warning about the sedentary nature of work and recreation.

BBC: Stand up at office to lose weight, says exercise scientist

Joe Barton, CEO of Barton Publishing, offers some great tips on managing the sedentary nature of office work.

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He says estimates from government surveys indicate that people's sedentary time outside of work has increased by about 40% between 1965 and 2009.

WSJ: Do the Fitness Math: Gym vs. Stairs

And earlier this year the evidence against many hours of sitting expanded further: The American Journal of Epidemiology published a study finding that those who work a sedentary job have almost twice the risk of a specific type of colon cancer.

CNN: Sitting for hours can shave years off life

The solicitation said "the work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands, " an important factor in an agency where USAID workers can live in poor conditions in dangerous countries.

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In both cases, the more sedentary job carried greater health risks than the more active job, even though they were in a similar line of work.

CNN: Sitting for hours can shave years off life