ROYAL OAK, Mich., Mar 26, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A study by U.S. researchers
found that the morbidly obese -- with body mass indexes between 40 and 49.9 --
spend about 8.4 minutes in activity a day.
Thomas Vanhecke, Barry Franklin,Wendy Miller, Adam deJong, Catherine Coleman and
Peter McCullough of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., examined the
average fitness level of the morbidly obese.
The study, published in the journal Clinical Cardiology, found the tested
population -- BMI of 40-49.9 -- was sedentary for more than 99 percent of the
day and, on average, walked less than 2,500 steps per day -- far below healthy
living guidelines of 10,000 steps per day.
Most morbidly obese participants in the study were markedly sedentary -- on
average, 23 hours and 51.6 min per day were spent sleeping or engaged in
sedentary activity and the remaining 8.4 minutes were spent in moderate
activity.
The highest level of activity attained by any single individual during one
24-hour period was 28 minutes of moderate activity. Two individuals in this
study spent the entire monitoring period in sedentary activity.
Despite the lack of moderate or vigorous physical activity in the studied
population, lighter amounts of physical activity may yield significant health
benefits. Even light walking in speeds of 1 to 2 miles per hour shows
significant health benefits, the researchers said.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International