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Apple CEO Tim Cook Says 'Sitting Is The New Cancer,' Plugs Health Features Of New Smartwatch

CUPERTINO (CBS SF) – While promoting his company's upcoming smartwatch, Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook said one of the device's features would remind users to avoid prolonged stretches of sitting.

According to CNET, Cook talked about the company's Apple Watch at the Goldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. Cook said one of the features of the watch would "tap" the user on the wrist if the person hasn't moved around in the past hour.

"A lot of doctors believe sitting is the new cancer," Cook told the attendees.

Cook said many of his employees are wearing the watch, which will go on sale in the spring, and end up standing during company meetings.

A study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine last month found sitting for prolonged periods of time increases risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and early death, even among people who exercise regularly.

According to researchers, the average person spends more than half of their waking hours being sedentary, which includes activities such as working at a computer, watching TV or sitting in traffic.

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