PALO ALTO, Calif. — As you might expect at a conference on the health dangers of sitting, most of the seats were empty.

It was well attended, but the scientists and health experts who did gather Thursday at Stanford University were encouraged to get up from their chairs, stretch their legs, pace the room, even stand during discussions ranging from the risks of inactivity to technological solutions for reducing time on one's behind.

"Certainly the irony of having everyone sit through a conference on the perils of sitting was not lost on us," said Anne Friedlander, a consulting professor of human biology at Stanford and an organizer of the two-day conference entitled The Science of Sedentary Behavior.

Friedlander opened the event by telling participants that they could monitor their sit-time on a timer displayed on a big screen behind the lectern. Alternative seating, including exercise balls, was also available. A campus walking tour would end the day.

"It's almost impossible to sit down for long periods when you know what's going on in your body while you're sitting," Friedlander said.

Although much of the research into the health risks is preliminary, several studies suggest that people who spend prolonged periods on their behind are more likely to be overweight, have heart disease or even die.

Inactivity, the studies also say, decreases circulation and the body starts shutting down on a metabolic level.

The goal of the conference was to discuss the existing science on the topic and what research is still needed.

Participants were quick to note challenges to new research, including separating the many variables that can influence bad health from the sole act of sitting.

There's also no consensus on how much sitting is too much, though there is evidence suggesting that interrupting periods of prolonged sitting with frequent breaks is beneficial.