Talk:Standing desk

Inconclusive Evidence
I think that many people will come to this article looking to decide whether they should switch to a standing desk. Based on currently available sources, the benefits of switching are inconclusive and the evidence is contradictory. It's important for this article to maintain a neutral tone. I've done an overhaul of the health benefits/risks section, adding several scientific sources. Some of the existing sources in this article are of low quality - basically opinion pieces with little science behind them. Improvements to this article should use high quality sources. Jmattthew (talk) 21:21, 21 February 2014 (UTC)

Similarity to Free Dictionary

 * This looks very similar to: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/standing%20desk

Of course it does, since the articles on that site are direct copies of the articles on Wikipedia! I was surprised about a year ago when I discovered that all the articles I authored (or started up or contributed to) were ending up on so man "dictionary" or "encyclopedia" sites. But I'm not singled out. It happens to all the other articles. Or at least it seems to happen to all of them, I haven't done a thorough checking. And I suppose it's normal since Wikipedia is open source, and open source means other people making copies as long as they respect the legal limits of open source. --AlainV 16:47, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

Just did my first redirect.
Could someone check make sure I got it right? If not, put a note on my page, plox?Pär Larsson (talk) 02:30, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Needs info on correct posture for standing desks.
I'm having trouble finding a good source for how to stand at a standing desk. If any one knows of a source, can they summarize/link to it in the article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.239.45.4 (talk) 20:57, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

Change picture
Would it be possible to give an example of a standing desk without using a war criminal. I know there's a drawing of Hitler on the moustache page but there's no connection between Rumsfeld and standing desks in the public mind. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.7.124.12 (talk) 12:19, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

I changed the picture, however not because of my political opinion of Rumsfeld, but rather because the Rumsfeld image didn't show the desk very clearly. The new image shows the complete standing desk and standing person using the desk. Jmattthew (talk) 09:54, 21 February 2014 (UTC)

This statement incomprehensible
"A common solution today is the Computer desk, which enables height adjustments as well as other adjustments to further suit the individual."

This statement tells me nothing. There are countless computer desks that are not adjustable. Nodekeeper (talk) 20:28, 7 September 2013 (UTC)

Annotated Bibliography
For a class project, I developed this annotated bibliography on Standing Desks. I hope you find it useful.

Benden, M. E., Wendel, M. L., Jeffrey, C. E., Zhao, H., & Morales, M. L. (2012). Within-subjects analysis of the effects of a stand-biased classroom intervention on energy expenditure. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 15(2), 9-19.


 * This study found a significant increase in Energy Expenditure (EE) in children who used standing desks during the school day versus sitting desks. The students were allowed to voluntarily change their positions throughout the day. Positive behavioral changes were reported by the teacher. All of the authors are part of the School of Rural Public Health at Texas A&M. The article is from a scholarly journal and represents scholarly research.

Bennett, D. (2012, July 2). Kill your desk chair. Bloomberg Businessweek, 63-65.


 * This article from a business magazine reports that Ernest Hemingway, Vladimir Nabokov, Winston Churchill, Henry Clay, Thomas Jefferson, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Donald Rumsfeld have all used standing desks. Also reports that sales of standing desks were up at Steelcase and Ergo Desktop. According to the article, in Denmark, employers are legally required to provide adjustable desks. The article includes quotes from ergonomic specialists. This article provides an objective view of standing desks, looking at both sides of the issue. Citations to the sources used are not provided.

Fleishman, G. (2012, September). Turn any desk into a standing desk. Macworld, 29(9), 62-62.


 * This brief article from a popular computer magazine reviews an adjustable stand from Uncaged Ergonomics as a low-cost standing desk option.

Grunseit, A. C., & Yuk-Yin Chau, J. (2013). "Thinking on your feet": A qualitative evaluation of sit-stand desks in an Australian workplace. BMC Public Health, 13, 365-375. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/365


 * This study used questionnaires and interviews to evaluate "the acceptability and usability" of sit-stand desks in an office setting in Australia. Findings include self-reports of increased standing by employees. Choices to stand or sit were influenced by health impacts, office setup and perceived productivity. The authors are affiliated with public health school/departments at their respective universities making this a credible source.

Reiff, C., Marlatt, K., & Dengel, D. R. (2012). Differences in caloric expenditure in sitting versus standing desks. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 9, 1009-1011.


 * This study looked at the calorie expenditure of 20 young adults (avg age 22.8 years) while performing math problems in either a sitting or standing position. A significant increase in calorie expenditure was found for those participants who were standing. The authors are affiliated with the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. The research was funded by the UM Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program so one can conclude the authors were undergraduate students. Nonetheless, the research was published in a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal.

Speck, R. M., & Schmitz, K. H. (2011). Energy expenditure comparison: A pilot study of standing instead of sitting at work for obesity prevention. Preventive Medicine, 52, 283-284. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.02.002


 * In a small study of 13 individuals, Speck and Schmitz compared the energy expenditure (EE) of sitting at rest, working on a computer while sitting on a chair, working on a computer while sitting on an exercise ball and working on a computer while standing. They found no significant differences in the oxygen consumption or the metabolic equivalent (MET) between the positions. The authors are both at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. They cite several sources. Because this is a letter to editor about a "pilot study" of 13 people, I consider this to be only preliminary information. This is the first piece of evidence I found that questions the value of standing versus sitting at a desk.

Taylor, K. (2012, August 02). Get Up, Stand Up, For Your Life: Can Standing Desks Fight Sitting Disease? Forbes. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/katetaylor/2012/08/02/can-standing-desks-fight-sitting-disease/


 * This web article from a reputable news publication (Forbes.com) reviews six standing desk options. There is a named author for the article and the article does not appear to be biased.

Csheetz (talk) 16:51, 14 October 2013 (UTC)

SweetLabs
some people at SweetLabs use standing desks, claiming that it gives greater focus and removes "3pm lulls". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.173.4.68 (talk) 14:34, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

Linus Torvalds
seems, he is using one nowadays. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSgUPqygAww --84.250.118.32 (talk) 17:11, 28 September 2014 (UTC)

Notable users
I have removed the following unsourced information from the introduction of the article: "Notable users of standing desks include Leonardo da Vinci, U.S. founding father Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, author Virginia Woolf, author and philosopher Albert Camus, songwriter Oscar Hammerstein II, author Ernest Hemingway, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and author Nathaniel Hawthorne."

The BBC article only claims that Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Hammerstein II and Donald Rumsfeld were standing desk users. There are no mentions of the other individuals. Furthermore, the BBC article does not provide any sourcing for their claims and only lists them incidentally. A better source is needed.  Tkbrett  (✉) 16:27, 21 June 2018 (UTC)

Thanks Alexbrn
, Thanks for your help with the article. I have run out of time at the moment to finish this edit. The Cochrane Review in the health section is outdated. I need to finish reading the full-text version to complete this edit. I will return asap. Please feel free to move around the sentences I added to the lead. Thanks again,

Jenny JenOttawa (talk) 18:27, 25 June 2018 (UTC)
 * You beat me to it! Thanks for moving my sentences. Formatting is def improved with your work.JenOttawa (talk) 18:28, 25 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Finally, there is no PMID yet for this, I will make note and return once it is up on PubMed. Usually takes a week or so I think.
 * Thanks again, JenOttawa (talk) 18:30, 25 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Cool beans, Jen - with that new Cochrane ref we've decent sourcing and all the old junk can be cleared away. It's a win! :-) Alexbrn (talk) 18:34, 25 June 2018 (UTC)

First citation is about evaluating sitting time not health benefits
Two places in the article suggest there is low or no evidence for health benefits from standing desks, but the attached citation "Workplace interventions for reducing sitting at work" doesn't evaluate health benefits. As the title suggests, it is only reviewing the literature for evidence that standing desks actually reduce sitting. Can someone please replace with a more appropriate citation or remove those lines? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nluqo (talk • contribs) 11:57, 21 July 2018 (UTC)

One unsupported line was removed, but two others remained so I have removed them. I tracked down the full text to make sure I had not missed anything. Again, the review is only about sitting time. Nluqo (talk) 23:52, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

Expert paper
So PMID 26034192 says: Correction notice This paper has been amended since it was published Online First. Co-author Gavin Bradley has amended his competing interest statement to point out that he is 100% owner of a website that sells sit-stand work products called ‘Sit-Stand Trading Limited’. In addition to these changes the title of the paper and the first sentence of the abstract have been changed. Also, funding and disclosure statements have been inserted. Competing interests Gavin Bradley is 100% owner of a website that sells sit-stand work products called ‘Sit-Stand Trading Limited’.

Funding Public Health England contributed a small amount of unconditional funding to help support meetings for the expert panel to prepare and write this statement, but this neither constitutes an endorsement nor an official opinion of Public Health England.

Disclosure At the time of the writing and preparations of this statement, Gavin Bradley discloses that he is a Director of both Active Working CIC, UK Ltd and Sit-Stand Trading Company, UK Ltd (Sit-Stand.com).

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

This is paper all conflicted. That is fine, and people reading it, will take that into account when they read it. Dealing with that as Wikipedia editors is way beyond our pay grade, and we should simply not cite this paper.

I'll also note that the content that was added here stating that the paper was "commissioned by Public Health England and the Active Working CIC" is contradicted by the paper itself. Jytdog (talk) 16:06, 24 July 2018 (UTC)

Max Banfield?
In the history section there's a large block of text, that's completely unreferenced, claiming that "Max Banfield" invented the modern standing desk.

Shouldn't this be deleted entirely considering the long history of standing desks and dubious impact of a little known book published 40 years ago? Rapidborp (talk) 16:10, 7 February 2022 (UTC)