New research suggests that obese women only complete the equivalent of one hour of exercise per year, emphasizing the need for greater education and encouragement around the virtues of exercise and a balanced diet.
Researchers from the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham gleaned their findings from data obtained in a government survey conducted in 2005 - 2006. Using accelerometer devices, the researchers monitored the exercise patterns of nearly 2,600 adults aged between 20 and 74, with different exercises ranked according to levels of strenuousness. They also analyzed information pertaining to their sleeping and eating habits.
Published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the researchers also found that obese men participate in approximately 3.6 hours of exercise per year. "The data was there, but no one looked at it and parsed it the way we did. There is a great deal of variability; some are moving probably a fair amount. But the vast majority [of people] are not moving at all," said study co-author Dr. Edward Archer of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "I think they're living the typical life. They drive their children to school, they sit at a desk all day long, they may play some video games and they go to sleep."
The researchers suggest a reframing of the obesity problem, referring to the issue as a 'pandemic.' They also recommend awareness of a variety of contingent factors, including external environment, behavioral quirks, and the developmental process as integral to the understanding of the obesity pandemic.
It's recommended that adults exercise for at 2.5 hours per week, a dramatic increase on the current rates that the obese exercise at. With more than one in three Americans being obese - defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 - the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke is above average. Obesity is also linked to hypertension, liver and gallbladder disease, osteoporosis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some cancers, including endometrial, colon, and breast. In a separate study, researchers from Harvard projected that by 2030, obesity would cost the government $48 to $66 billion a year, should current trends persist.
