Lack of exercise, not diet, linked to rise in obesity, Stanford research shows

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<p><a href=“Lack of exercise, not diet, linked to rise in obesity, Stanford research shows | News Center | Stanford Medicine”>http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2014/07/lack-of-exercise--not-diet--linked-to-rise-in-obesity--stanford-.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Non-leisure physical activity could also be relevant – but changes in that are probably also in a downward trend, as physical labor jobs become less common.</p>

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<p>interesting</p>

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<p>Research is not applicable to people who exercise 2 - 3 hours every day and still obese because they overeat. I do not need to go far for many many examples. I myself can gain some 10 lbs in 2 weeks easily while exercising 2 -3 hours every day. Happens every year while on vacation at all inclusive resort with incredible food, where I continue swimming and power walking… Do not believe any studies, got to exercise because it makes a human being happy and got to watch that food intake because it will make you obese even if you exercise 2 -3 hours every day, including weekends and vacations.<br>
Another point, there are plenty of obese in the physical labor force, very many. The reason - they overeat on a regular basis. When you go out, the portions are totally not for humans, maybe for hogs or horses, but not for human bodies. I am glad that I do not like to go out at all and our favorite food is sushi, you can order it by pieces. I still tend to overeat and even good food can pile lbs on you very easily. I never stop exercising, I simply addicted, exercise is a drug if you do it at certain level, it produces some chemicals that make you happy and then you get addicted.</p>

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<p>This study makes sense to me, though I’m surprised to see such a significant change in exercise patterns in only the past 25 years. I wonder what they’d have found if they’d compared exercise and obesity rates in the 1950s/1960s with today. Our lives are so much more sedentary than those of previous generations. My grandmother had to push laundry through a wringer and hang it on a line. Her grandmother had to use a tub and scrubbing board. I don’t burn many calories when I do a load of laundry today. </p>

<p>I’ve always suspected that more exercise was the reason previous generations were thinner. </p>

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<p>I’m surprised at the difference from 1988 to today. Most of easier methods of doing household chores are the same today as in 1988, ie laundry, dishwashers. </p>

<p>What changes in the exercise experience in daily life has their been since 1988? The only ones I can think of are the prevalence of cable TV, which encourages lots of sitting and the internet which does the same. </p>

<p>For young people, the rise of video games. </p>

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<p>The data source is pretty solid: I don’t know of better sources about caloric intake over time for a randomized population, though my knowledge is not exhaustive. </p>

<p>My own take is this agrees with observation. To wit:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>When I use a pedometer, I have seen a truly massive reduction in steps taken if I live as most people do. Living in the city, I walk a lot and spend a lot of time outdoors, no matter the weather. If I live as a suburbanite, I have days when I don’t reach 3000 steps - or less. I’ve done this intentionally but also because foot problems limited my walking and made me drive from point to point to point (and avoid places where I had to walk). The differences were startling: even when we’d take a day’s driving trip and visit a museum - like the Currier in Manchester, NH - I’d walk maybe 3000 steps. I’d be tired from the day but have had no exercise. </p></li>
<li><p>Small differences add up. If I walk 5000+ steps a day versus 3000, that’s about 1 mile more, which is 100-125 calories a day. Keep calorie intake the same and I’d gain a pound a month or 10-12 pounds a year, which is exactly what we see people gain in a year. This fits the model which says small life changes adhered to over time can have large effects, but it also shows a major difficulty: if you’re 100 calories a day to the bad, you need to do more than that to the good each day to reverse the weight gain. That is hard for people; it means walking yet another mile on top of the mile they’ve given up and then the effect is gradual and hard to notice.</p></li>
<li><p>Comfort expectations seem to matter. As in last night, we saw an outdoor concert - American Idol (and Sam was great, btw; his voice is much stronger than on the show) - and people were complaining about the heat. It wasn’t particularly hot but people are used to A/C. The problem this creates is you have to overcome comfort expectations to get outside in all kinds of weather, to run errands when it kind of sucks outside, etc. That makes it more difficult to walk that extra mile+. </p></li>
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<p>We dont have AC, can I complain about the heat?
Artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup are much more ubiquitous than 50 years ago.
Everyone that I know that uses artificial sweeteners, is heavier than those I know who don’t.
Its interesting.
<a href=“Artificial sweeteners could lead to obesity, diabetes - CBS News”>http://www.cbsnews.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-could-lead-to-obesity-diabetes/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Low-Calorie and Artificial Sweeteners | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health”>http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/artificial-sweeteners/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I don’t know why anyone drinks sweet drinks anymore. There is nothing to be gained from them, other than excess weight.</p>

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<p>There seems to be hidden sugar in everything - so many different names and people think things like “natural cane sugar” is somehow better for you than just plain old sugar. Is there even a difference? If it’s low fat, it would taste like cardboard unless it was loaded with artificial sweetener. I recently enjoyed “Salt, Sugar, Fat” by Michael Moss - really interesting study of food marketing, the USDA, and why we are fat. </p>

<p>I also think, unless someone is measuring and weighing everything they eat, that we grossly underestimate what we’re consuming. Are you sure that bowl of cereal is exactly one serving? If you’re like most people, it’s probably closer to two or three. </p>

<p>Diet and exercise go hand in hand when you’re trying to lose or maintain weight. </p>

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<p>I drink artificially sweetened drinks (including iced tea), although I have almost eliminated diet colas. I’m not heavy. I think artificial sweeteners are bad for you, but I use them anyway- but have cut back.
Sweet tea is a big deal here in the South (almost always with real sugar). I try to avoid it except may add a little to unsweetened tea at a restaurant.</p>

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<p>I was the only one of our group of four to climb out of my hotel bed this morning at 6:45 am to exercise. I ran/walked for an hour. I saw some beautiful coastal scenery and felt great!</p>

<p>Artificial sweeteners help me limit the amount of sugar I eat. I have also been tracking calories. It IS surprising how quickly you reach your total for the day. I have been eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies, which helps. I am no longer overweight.</p>

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<p>I’m with MOWC and MaineLonghorn - I drink/consume lots of artificially sweetened drinks because I drastically limit my intake of sugar (Type 1.5 diabetes), and being a southerner, I just can’t drink unsweetened tea. I’m not heavy either.</p>

<p>There are few easy correlations between factor X and weight (except, it appears, the amount of exercise. I do exercise everyday for at least 45 minutes…)</p>

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<p>I drink sweetened drinks.
Don’t take away my lemonade, sweet tea, or Arnold Palmers.
I like them.
Drink them multiple times a day.<br>
I’m not heavy. </p>

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<p>People are unreliable when reporting their diet, but I don’t know of a reason why they would be more reliable now than they were in 1988. So I don’t see a reason to distrust current reports of calorie consumption more that I distrust old results. I don’t like the explanation, “People are more obese now than they were in 1988, even though they report the same calorie consumption now, because people now are less accurate than people in 1988.”</p>

<p>Besides, we have a perfectly plausible explanation of the observed facts: people say they eat the same now, but they say they get less exercise. If someone eats the same and gets less exercise, we should expect them to gain weight, and that’s what we are observing in the population.</p>

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<p>I usually drink water or seltzer, but I eat foods with artificial sweeteners. I am not fat – I’m quite thin. I know it’s not a great thing to do, but I have this sweet tooth to satisfy.</p>

<p>I agree with Lergnom. People don’t walk. I walk everywhere I can, and most people I know don’t get it. My anecdote: I was at a convention, staying at a hotel that was a half-mile from the convention center. Everyone else was taking taxis and thought I was nuts for walking (and clothing and high-heeled shoes were not an issue). Most of these people are overweight, and were overwhelmed by the idea of walking a half-mile.</p>

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<p>People took taxis to go half a mile?</p>

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<p>It’s frankly sad that we don’t have much data on walking. If you search the literature, you see relatively few studies with relatively few participants tracking steps over a relatively short period of time. Most of the work is actually estimates extrapolated from activity reports and averages. </p>

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<p>Niquil77, I drank sweetened drinks when I was your age also. My middle aged metabolism doesn’t work like it did when I was 19 :). </p>

<p>I’m sorry this seems so flawed, I have a hard time believing it. </p>

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<p>Lots of people seem to go out of their way to be lazy, although some people visiting for a convention may not realize how close their origin and destination are.</p>

<p>Another example of going out one’s way to be lazy would be waiting for a slow elevator when walking up the stairs would be faster (and cumbersome cargo, wheelchair, etc. is not an issue).</p>

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<p>We moved to the city from the suburbs, 30 years ago, because we liked to have transportation options.
We can walk to the grocery store, the park, the library, restaurants & theaters, etc, all within a mile or two.
I do admit if I am getting a lot of stuff at the grocery store, I take the car, as Im not great balancing on my bike yet.
But I also just had a knee replacement last year, so I think Im doing pretty good!
<a href=“http://www.feetfirst.org”>http://www.feetfirst.org</a>
<a href=“http://americawalks.org/resources/walking-facts/”>http://americawalks.org/resources/walking-facts/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;