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Four-week pedometer-determined activity patterns in normal-weight, overweight and obese adults
Stacy A Clemes1, Sarah L Hamilton, Martin R Lindley
1Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK. S.A.Clemes@lboro.ac.uk
Preventive Medicine
|January 18, 2008
Summary
Normal-weight adults walk more than overweight and obese adults. Overweight and obese individuals show a greater reduction in daily steps on Sundays, highlighting a need for increased activity.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Exercise Science
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Increasing prevalence of obesity in the UK necessitates understanding physical activity levels.
- Ambulatory activity patterns vary across different body mass index (BMI) categories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess and compare pedometer-determined ambulatory activity in normal-weight, overweight, and obese UK adults.
- To identify differences in daily and weekly activity patterns among these groups.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-six normal-weight, 91 overweight, and 75 obese adults from the East Midlands participated.
- Continuous pedometer data were collected for four weeks during winter 2006.
- Activity levels and patterns were analyzed across the three BMI groups.
Main Results:
- Normal-weight individuals had significantly higher mean daily step counts (10,247) compared to overweight (9,095) and obese (8,102) participants.
- No significant difference in step counts was found between overweight and obese groups.
- All groups exhibited reduced activity on Sundays, with overweight and obese groups showing a two-fold greater reduction (approx. 2000 steps) than normal-weight individuals (approx. 1000 steps).
Conclusions:
- Interventions to increase physical activity are crucial for individuals at risk of obesity.
- Distributing pedometers and encouraging increased daily and Sunday activity could be an effective strategy to combat obesity in the UK.
