Fidget fitness

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic measured the movements and body postures of 20 sedentary people: half were lean, half obese. They discovered that the obese out sat the lean by more than two hours a day, thus conserving about 350 calories. Ten days of this behavior could produce a weight gain of one pound.

Thinking that the overweight sat still because they were fat, researchers put them on a weight-loss diet for two months while the lean individuals were over fed. Even after losing 16 pounds, the obese sat just as much as ever. After gaining 8 pounds, the lean fidgeted as much as they always had.

Researchers reached two conclusions: Obesity occurs when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure, and any activity is better than just sitting around.

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter

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