Recently published research indicates that under-exercising,
rather than over-eating, is at the heart of the obesity epidemic. Over the past
twenty years, the number of women who report getting no exercise has jumped
from 19% to more than half. Black and Mexican-American women showed the
greatest decrease in exercise. Men have a four-fold increase in lack of
exercise. Children with an obese sibling were more likely to be obese, and the
hours of screen time are directly correlated with weight.
The greater the body mass index (BMI), the greater the risk
of dying from underlying disease. People with a BMI greater than 40 are ‘robbed
of 6 ½ years of expected life span.’ The most obese will die 14 years earlier
(controlling for other diseases and conditions).
It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to make a big difference.
One hour of exercise can counteract the effect of sitting for seven hours at
the workplace. Sustained exercise for thirty minutes gives the most
cardiovascular benefit, but committing to six ten minute intervals over the
course of the day will put a person into a different statistical risk pool. An
hour is too much? The Surgeon General recommends 30 minutes of exercise most
days of the week.
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