That the average adult spends 50 to 70 percent of their day sitting is no surprise to anyone who works in an office environment. But few realize the health consequences they are suffering as a result of modernity's increasingly sedentary lifestyle, or the effects it has had on society at large. In Get Up! , health expert James A. Levine's original scientific research shows that today's chair-based world, where we no longer use our bodies as they evolved to be used, is having negative consequences on our health, and is a leading cause of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Over the decades, humans have moved from a primarily active lifestyle to one that is largely sedentary, and this change has reshaped every facet of our lives—from social interaction to classroom design. Levine shows how to throw off the shackles of inertia and reverse these negative trends through simple changes in our daily lives.

James A. Levine directs the obesity wing of the Mayo Clinic. The inventor of the treadmill desk, he has published more than 100 scientific papers, worked on dozens of corporate programs, and served as an advisor for schools on how to make the classroom a more active place. He was awarded the Invention of the Year Award by NASA, the Platinum Award at the World Fair, and Entrepreneur of the Year in the State of Minnesota. His work has been featured on Rock Center, 60 Minutes, BBC, and all major network US morning shows, as well as in The New York Times, and The Times of London.