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explain why obesity rates have tripled? participants.
Although the American diet is likely a key My team’s research has compiled weight,
contributor, a wealth of research points to body fat percentages and average step
a reduction in physical activity as a major counts for large numbers of adults between
culprit behind the expanding waist lines – 19 and 40 years of age. From that data, we
and step counts are an excellent indicator of have identified a way to determine specific
physical activity. step count goals based on key physical
Step counts may – or may not – lead to attributes – namely, baseline body weight
weight loss and composition, and the desired body
composition.
When it comes to health, it is important
to remember that body weight does not tell
the whole story. In fact, body composition
is much more predictive of health status
than body weight. Someone who weighs
more than another person may be in better
health if they have more muscle mass and a
lower percentage of body fat than the other
person who weighs less but has a higher
proportion of body fat.
Parsing the numbers
A number of recent studies have looked We have used our data to develop a model
at whether increasing step counts can that predicts average daily step counts per
lead to weight loss over a certain period of unit of fat mass from body fat percentage.
time. One large-scale study called a meta- We believe that this model can be used to
analysis concluded that increasing physical determine how much people would need to
activity by way of step counts was effective walk to achieve a specific amount of weight
for attaining modest weight loss. However, and body fat reduction.
many if not most studies examining the Take, for instance, a man who weighs
effect of exercise on weight loss report 175 pounds (80 kilograms), of which 25%
modest outcomes, with results that are is fat. Our model suggests that he walks
variable and often disappointing. an average of 10,900 steps a day. Then
That may be in part because the step count consider another man who weighs 220
targets used in many weight management pounds (100 kilograms), of which 20% is
studies are most often set in an arbitrary fat. Although they have different amounts
manner, such as targeting 10,000 steps of lean mass, both men have about 44
per day. Or, if they’re individualized at pounds (20 kilograms) of fat. So our model
all, they’re based on initial behavioral predicts that the heavier man walks an
characteristics, like adding a given number average of 15,300 steps a day. In other
of steps to what a person is already words, the heavier person has a lower
accumulating in a typical day. Rarely, if percentage of body fat and walks more to
ever, are the step targets in research studies maintain that leaner body composition.
based on any physical attributes of the A person’s body fat percentage is every
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