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No pain, no gain: Perceptions of calorie expenditures of exercise and daily activities
Abstract
Reduction in physical activity is considered a major contributor to weight problems. Increasingly, people are expending less
energy in household chores but joining fitness clubs. Do people perceive ordinary daily activities to expend less energy than
exercise activities using similar amounts of calories? In the present study college students were asked to evaluate the calorie
expenditure of 30 physical activities (i.e., exercises and household tasks). The household tasks were matched (in terms of
caloric expenditure) to at least one exercise activity. When participants rated both exercise and daily activities, it appears
that they focused on rate of caloric expenditure rather than type of activity (i.e., household task or exercise). In Study
2, college students evaluated the energy expenditure of light/leisure, moderate, and intense exercise. This emphasis concerning
the benefit of intense physical activity was observed once again. College students appear to have assimilated the belief that
intense physical activity expends more energy than longer sessions of lower intensity physical activity using similar amounts
of calories. Perhaps one reason why people are not physically active is that they believe physical activities must be intense
to be of benefit. At the same time they are automatizing household chores and, thus, become less active overall.
... Furthermore, Slotterback, Leeman, and Oakes (2006) coined the phrase 'no pain, no gain' to capture the finding that people might erroneously believe that physical activities must be intense to be of benefit. However, the emphasis on normative time and high-intensity goals may actually deter some people from becoming physically active because the difference between these normative recommendations and the actual physical activity level ('reality-norm gap') is big and may thus be demotivating (Knox et al., 2014;Schwartz et al., 2019;Slotterback et al., 2006). ...
... Furthermore, Slotterback, Leeman, and Oakes (2006) coined the phrase 'no pain, no gain' to capture the finding that people might erroneously believe that physical activities must be intense to be of benefit. However, the emphasis on normative time and high-intensity goals may actually deter some people from becoming physically active because the difference between these normative recommendations and the actual physical activity level ('reality-norm gap') is big and may thus be demotivating (Knox et al., 2014;Schwartz et al., 2019;Slotterback et al., 2006). In contrast, small but meaningful changes in behavior which are easily obtainable and associated with repeated incentives may quickly become part of a person's self-regulation efforts, thereby achieving the desired 'ultimate' behavior change. ...
... For instance, one can distinguish between light, moderate, and vigorous intensive activity (LPA, MPA, and VPA, respectively). In accordance with Slotterback (2006), we found that MPA is mostly neglected. ...
... During the starvation period of the study, calories were restricted to 1,760 per day and resulted in depression, fatigue, anemia, weakness, edema, and bradycardia (Keys, 1946). Many researchers indicate that individuals are inaccurate in their estimates of daily caloric expenditure and of calories burned during an exercise session (Church et al., 2009; Donnelly and Smith, 2005; King et al., 2008; Slotterback, Leeman, and Oakes, 2006). In a few studies, results indicate that study participants who engaged in regular exercise tended to lose less weight than what would be expected compared to those did not engage in regular exercise in a given week. ...
... ght than what would be expected compared to those did not engage in regular exercise in a given week. It is thought that this is due to individuals who engage in regular exercise giving themselves credit for more calories burned than their actual expenditure and then over-indulging (Church et al., 2009; Donnelly and Smith, 2005; King et al., 2008). Slotterback et al. (2006) also suggested that individuals are frequently wrong in their estimations of caloric expenditure. It was found that more intense, shorter lasting activities (e.g., intentional physical exercise) were estimated as burning more calories than longer, less intense activities (e.g., lawn mowing, child care, cleaning), even though both types ...
... It is not surprising that caloric expenditure was underestimated for the entire day. This finding supports the researchers' hypothesis and follows along with the results of the Slotterback et al. (2006) study in which participants underestimated the amount of calories they burned during daily activities. More surprising was the finding that individuals significantly underestimated their caloric expenditure for the exercise session. ...
Evidence suggests athletes will try to regulate pre-competition emotions to a state that helps goal pursuit (Hanin, 2003) and supposedly unpleasant emotions such as anger and tension have been found to associate with successful performance. The present study focused on emotional states associated with optimal performance. Male athletes (N = 222) were asked to recall an optimal sport performance and then completed the Brunel Mood Scale (Terry, Lane, and Fogarty, 2003) to assess pre-competition emotion. Emotion data were dichotomized into either a depression group (that is whether participants reported a score of 1 or more for either confusion or depression on the BRUMS) or no-symptoms of depression group (a score of zero for confusion and depression, see Lane and Terry, 2000). Results indicated participants in the depression group reported high scores of anger and tension and lower scores of pleasant emotions. Among such participants, happiness inversely related to tension. By contrast, among the no symptoms of unpleasant emotions group, participants reported higher scores of calmness, happiness, and vigor along with lower scores of anger and tension. Among such participants, happiness correlated positively with anger and tension, a finding. Findings lend support to the notion that.
... The results of the current study are consistent with prior research highlighting the effects of intrinsic motivation on attitudes regarding exercise [24,25]. Prior research has also analyzed perceptions towards potential caloric expenditure in relationship to attitudes towards physical activity [25]. ...
... The results of the current study are consistent with prior research highlighting the effects of intrinsic motivation on attitudes regarding exercise [24,25]. Prior research has also analyzed perceptions towards potential caloric expenditure in relationship to attitudes towards physical activity [25]. There are opportunities for future studies to assess perceptions regarding caloric expenditure and attitudes towards an activity in regard to overall motivation to exercise, As a result of the potential changes in one's outlook on exercising over time, as noted in the study results, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of the current study. ...
Black women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity. One theory that may have utility in increasing the amount of exercise among Black women is self-determination theory, a psychology-based theory commonly used to investigate motivation in the context of exercise. The objective of this study was to determine whether motivation towards exercise behavior differs between younger and older Black women.
A cross-sectional study was conducted by administering a survey to Black women in the Midwestern United States to elicit factors which may impact their motivation to exercise. The survey consisted of questions to gather sociodemographic information as well as responses to the Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2). Responses on the BREQ-2 were utilized to derive the Relative Autonomy Index (RAI) which is a direct measure of self-determination that provides insight into the extent of an individual’s motivation to exercise. Multiple linear regression was utilized to determine if age was predictive of relative RAI scores after adjusting for marital status and receipt of a memorable message regarding health.
Mean RAI scores among respondents at least 40 years old were significantly higher in comparison to the RAI among respondents younger than 40. When adjusting for marital status and receipt of a memorable message regarding health, women at least 40 had a mean RAI score approximately 4.2 points higher than those under age 40. Women at least 40 years of age also had significantly higher scores on the identified regulation and intrinsic regulation subscales of the BREQ-2 questionnaire when compared to women younger than 40 after adjusting for marital status and recalling a memorable message related to health.
These findings suggest that exercise motivations differ among age groups of Black women. Additionally, these results highlight the importance of understanding exercise motivations to further improve health outcomes.
... Considering the current physical activity level of many people, the normative "threshold" of 150 min of MVPA per week might represent a rather challenging behavior change goal. Furthermore, Slotterback et al. (2006) coined the phrase "no pain, no gain" to capture the finding that people might erroneously believe that physical activities must be intense to be of benefit. However, the emphasis on normative time and high-intensity goals may actually deter some people from becoming physically active because the difference between these normative recommendations and the actual physical activity level ("reality-norm gap") is big and may thus be demotivating (Slotterback et al., 2006;Knox et al., 2014;Schwartz et al., 2019). ...
... Furthermore, Slotterback et al. (2006) coined the phrase "no pain, no gain" to capture the finding that people might erroneously believe that physical activities must be intense to be of benefit. However, the emphasis on normative time and high-intensity goals may actually deter some people from becoming physically active because the difference between these normative recommendations and the actual physical activity level ("reality-norm gap") is big and may thus be demotivating (Slotterback et al., 2006;Knox et al., 2014;Schwartz et al., 2019). In contrast, small but meaningful changes in behavior which are easily obtainable and associated with repeated incentives may quickly become part of a person's self-regulation efforts, thereby achieving the desired "ultimate" behavior change. ...
Objective: While behavioral recommendations regarding physical activity commonly focus on reaching demanding goals by proposing “thresholds,” little attention has been paid to the question of how much of a behavioral change is needed to make people feel that they have changed. The present research investigated this relation between actual and felt behavior change.
Design: Using data from two longitudinal community samples, Study 1 and Study 2 comprised 614 (63% women) and 398 participants (61% women) with a mean age of 40.9 years (SD = 13.6) and 42.5 years (SD = 13.4), respectively. Using a stage-approach, participants were classified into four groups by asking them at the respective second measurement to indicate whether they had become more physically active since their last participation 6 months ago (“Changers”), they had tried but did not succeed in becoming more physically active (“Attempters”), they were already physically active on a regular basis (“Regular Actives”), or they had not tried to become more physically active (“Non-Attempters”). Physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and fitness level was assessed as physical working capacity (PWC) via bicycle ergometry. Mixed ANOVAs including Time and Perceived Change as within and between factors were conducted, followed up by simple effect analyses.
Results: Participants stating to have become more active in the past 6 months (Changers) showed a significant increase in vigorous physical activity but not in moderate physical activity, with an average of 6.8 (Study 1) and 10.6 (Study 2) metabolic equivalent value-hours (MET-hours) per week in vigorous activity. Corroborating these findings, objective fitness also significantly increased in the group of Changers. No systematic change in moderate or vigorous physical activity was observed for the three other “non-changer” groups (Regular actives, Attempters, Non-Attempters).
Conclusion: The intensity of physical activity is the crucial variable for people’s perception of change in physical activity. Moderate physical activity seems not to be perceived as an effective means for behavior change. It thus might fail to unfold sufficient motivational impact, despite its known positive effects on health.
... Self-selected 95 exercise intensity has been linked to enhanced autonomy, interest/enjoyment, and perceived (Williams et al., 2015). The greater exercise adherence is at least partly due to 100 more positive affective responses to self-selected exercise (Williams et al., 2016 Further, oft-repeated phrases such as "no pain, no gain" and "go for the burn" may have 108 influenced the attitudes and beliefs of the general public (Slotterback, Leeman, & Oakes, 2006). 109 In other words, the general public may have the goal of "burning calories" during exercise but 110 not maximizing pleasure. ...
Researchers and practitioners are increasingly recognizing the importance of maximizing pleasure during exercise to promote exercise behavior. Self-selected intensity exercise can increase pleasure during exercise, but it is not yet known whether participants maximize pleasure during self-selected intensity exercise by default. We hypothesized that prompting participants to maximize pleasure and enjoyment would result in more positive affective valence during (Hypothesis 1) and after (Hypothesis 2) exercise, greater remembered pleasure following exercise (Hypothesis 3), and greater enjoyment of exercise (Hypothesis 4). In this within-subjects experiment, 39 inactive adults completed 2 10-min stationary cycling sessions at a self-selected intensity. During the experimental condition, participants were reminded (five times during the 10-min session) to maximize pleasure and enjoyment and that they could change the intensity if they wanted. Affective valence, heart rate, and ratings of perceived exertion were measured every 2 min during exercise. Affective valence, enjoyment, and remembered pleasure were measured after each exercise session. The control condition was identical, except no reminders were provided. Each hypothesis was supported (p < .05). Prompting participants to maximize their pleasure and enjoyment resulted in increased pleasure as the exercise session progressed. After receiving prompts, participants also reported more positive postexercise affective valence and rated the session as more pleasant and enjoyable. These results suggest that participants do not maximize pleasure and enjoyment by default (i.e., in the absence of reminders to do so). Researchers can build on these results to determine the mechanisms and whether prompting exercisers to maximize pleasure and enjoyment can promote exercise behavior.
... Self-selected 95 exercise intensity has been linked to enhanced autonomy, interest/enjoyment, and perceived (Williams et al., 2015). The greater exercise adherence is at least partly due to 100 more positive affective responses to self-selected exercise (Williams et al., 2016 Further, oft-repeated phrases such as "no pain, no gain" and "go for the burn" may have 108 influenced the attitudes and beliefs of the general public (Slotterback, Leeman, & Oakes, 2006). 109 In other words, the general public may have the goal of "burning calories" during exercise but 110 not maximizing pleasure. ...
Researchers and practitioners are increasingly recognizing the importance of maximizing pleasure during exercise in order to promote exercise behavior. Self-selected intensity exercise can increase pleasure during exercise, but it is not yet known whether participants maximize pleasure during self-selected intensity exercise by default. We hypothesized that prompting participants to maximize pleasure and enjoyment would result in more positive affective valence during (H1) and after (H2) exercise, greater remembered pleasure following exercise (H3), and greater enjoyment of exercise (H4). In this within-subjects experiment, 39 inactive adults completed 2 10-min stationary cycling sessions at a self-selected intensity. During the experimental condition, participants were reminded (five times during the 10-min session) to maximize pleasure and enjoyment, and that they could change the intensity if they wanted. Affective valence, heart rate, and ratings of perceived exertion were measured every 2 minutes during exercise. Affective valence, enjoyment, and remembered pleasure were measured after each exercise session. The control condition was identical, except no reminders were provided. Each hypothesis was supported (p < .05). Prompting participants to maximize their pleasure and enjoyment resulted in increased pleasure as the exercise session progressed. After receiving prompts, participants also reported more positive post-exercise affective valence and rated the session as more pleasant and enjoyable. These results suggest that participants do not maximize pleasure and enjoyment by default (i.e., in the absence of reminders to do so). Researchers can build on these results to determine the mechanisms and whether prompting exercisers to maximize pleasure and enjoyment can promote exercise behavior.
... This may even be the case for women who are not exercise dependent. One study found that college-aged women believe that intense physical activity expends more energy than longer sessions of lower intensity physical activity (such as household chores) although this is not necessarily the case [26]. This study also found that college-aged women focused on the rate of caloric expenditure as an indication of an effective activity. ...
It is important to engage in regular physical activity in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle however a large portion of the population is insufficiently active. Understanding how different types of motivation contribute to exercise behavior is an important first step in identifying ways to increase exercise among individuals. The current study employs self-determination theory as a framework from which to examine how motivation contributes to various characteristics of exercise behavior.
Regular exercisers (N = 1079; n = 468 males; n = 612 females) completed inventories which assessed the frequency, intensity, and duration with which they exercise, as well as the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire including four additional items assessing integrated regulation.
Bivariate correlations revealed that all three behavioral indices (frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise) were more highly correlated with more autonomous than controlling regulations. Regression analyses revealed that integrated and identified regulations predicted exercise frequency for males and females. Integrated regulation was found to be the only predictor of exercise duration across both genders. Finally, introjected regulation predicted exercise intensity for females only.
These findings suggest that exercise regulations that vary in their degree of internalization can differentially predict characteristics of exercise behavior. Furthermore, in the motivational profile of a regular exerciser, integrated regulation appears to be an important determinant of exercise behavior. These results highlight the importance of assessing integrated regulation in exercise settings where the goal of understanding motivated behavior has important health implications.
Consumers often form calorie estimates. How consumers estimate calories can systematically bias their calorie assessments. We distinguish between magnitude estimates—when consumers judge whether something has “very few” to “many” calories—and numeric estimates—when consumers estimate a number of calories. These two estimation modes lead to calorie estimate reversals when assessing calories in stimuli that trade off type and quantity, such as when assessing calories in a smaller portion of unhealthy food versus a larger portion of healthier food. When forming a “magnitude estimate,” people judge the larger, healthier food portion as containing fewer calories than the smaller, unhealthy food portion. However, when forming a “numeric estimate,” people often come to the opposite conclusion—judging the larger, healthier food portion as having more calories. This reversal occurs because these two estimation modes are differentially sensitive to information regarding a stimulus’ type (e.g., food healthiness), which is processed first, and quantity (e.g., food portion size), which is processed secondarily. Specifically, magnitude estimates are more sensitive to type, whereas numeric estimates attend to both type and quantity. Accordingly, this divergence between calorie estimation modes attenuates when: 1) quantity information is made primary or 2) in an intuitive (vs. deliberative) mindset.
Despite noted health benefits of physical activity, many adults engage in a sedentary lifestyle. The current study examines relationships between fear of pain, expectations regarding physical activity, and frequency of activity engagement among a healthy sample. We hypothesised that individuals with a greater fear of pain would express negative expectations and report less frequent engagement in physical activity. Participants were 162 undergraduate students who completed surveys assessing the aforementioned variables, as well as depressive symptoms and general health. We report herein that fear of pain was related to expectations regarding physical activity, which in turn predicted the frequency of activity engagement. These relationships differed by gender, such that fear of pain was negatively related to females’ perceived benefits but positively related to males’ frequency of exercise. Based on the current findings, we suggest that interventions aimed at reducing fear of pain may be particularly successful in addressing cognitive factors influencing females’ participation in physical activity.
Obesity in our nation has reached epidemic levels. Contributing to the problem is people's inaccuracies when accounting for caloric expenditure. For the purpose of this article, the researchers used the planning fallacy to explain why people may misestimate caloric expenditure. Nine men and women ages 17-34 participated in this study. Actual caloric expenditure was assessed through the use of the bodybugg™ armband apparatus. It was hypothesized that individuals would underestimate calories burned in an entire day, while overestimating caloric expenditure during exercise. Results indicated that individuals underestimated caloric expenditure both throughout the entire day and during exercise. With the proper tools and education, including an accurate perception of caloric expenditure and the ability to engage in a weight loss and/or healthy living program, healthy and maintainable results are possible.
To review and update the evidence relating to the personal, social, and environmental factors associated with physical activity (PA) in adults.
Systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature to identify papers published between 1998 and 2000 with PA (and including exercise and exercise adherence). Qualitative reports or case studies were not included.
Thirty-eight new studies were located. Most confirmed the existence of factors already known to be correlates of PA. Changes in status were noted in relation to the influence of marital status, obesity, smoking, lack of time, past exercise behavior, and eight environmental variables. New studies were located which focused on previously understudied population groups such as minorities, middle and older aged adults, and the disabled.
The newly reported studies tend to take a broader "ecological" approach to understanding the correlates of PA and are more focused on environmental factors. There remains a need to better understand environmental influences and the factors that influence different types of PA. As most of the work in this field still relies on cross-sectional studies, longitudinal and intervention studies will be required if causal relationships are to be inferred.
Obesity and diabetes are increasing in the United States.
To estimate the prevalence of obesity and diabetes among US adults in 2001.
Random-digit telephone survey of 195 005 adults aged 18 years or older residing in all states participating in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2001.
Body mass index, based on self-reported weight and height and self-reported diabetes.
In 2001 the prevalence of obesity (BMI > or =30) was 20.9% vs 19.8% in 2000, an increase of 5.6%. The prevalence of diabetes increased to 7.9% vs 7.3% in 2000, an increase of 8.2%. The prevalence of BMI of 40 or higher in 2001 was 2.3%. Overweight and obesity were significantly associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor health status. Compared with adults with normal weight, adults with a BMI of 40 or higher had an odds ratio (OR) of 7.37 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.39-8.50) for diagnosed diabetes, 6.38 (95% CI, 5.67-7.17) for high blood pressure, 1.88 (95% CI,1.67-2.13) for high cholesterol levels, 2.72 (95% CI, 2.38-3.12) for asthma, 4.41 (95% CI, 3.91-4.97) for arthritis, and 4.19 (95% CI, 3.68-4.76) for fair or poor health.
Increases in obesity and diabetes among US adults continue in both sexes, all ages, all races, all educational levels, and all smoking levels. Obesity is strongly associated with several major health risk factors.
To review the evidence on the diet and nutrition causes of obesity and to recommend strategies to reduce obesity prevalence.
The evidence for potential aetiological factors and strategies to reduce obesity prevalence was reviewed, and recommendations for public health action, population nutrition goals and further research were made.
Protective factors against obesity were considered to be: regular physical activity (convincing); a high intake of dietary non-starch polysaccharides (NSP)/fibre (convincing); supportive home and school environments for children (probable); and breastfeeding (probable). Risk factors for obesity were considered to be sedentary lifestyles (convincing); a high intake of energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods (convincing); heavy marketing of energy-dense foods and fast food outlets (probable); sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit juices (probable); adverse social and economic conditions-developed countries, especially in women (probable). A broad range of strategies were recommended to reduce obesity prevalence including: influencing the food supply to make healthy choices easier; reducing the marketing of energy dense foods and beverages to children; influencing urban environments and transport systems to promote physical activity; developing community-wide programmes in multiple settings; increased communications about healthy eating and physical activity; and improved health services to promote breastfeeding and manage currently overweight or obese people.
The increasing prevalence of obesity is a major health threat in both low- and high income countries. Comprehensive programmes will be needed to turn the epidemic around.
The proportion of overweight adolescents has increased, but the behavioral risk factors for overweight youth are not well understood.
To examine how diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors relate to overweight status in adolescents.
Baseline data from the Patient-Centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise Plus Nutrition Project, a randomized controlled trial of adolescents to determine the effects of a clinic-based intervention on physical activity and dietary behaviors.
A total of 878 adolescents aged 11 to 15 years, 42% of whom were from minority backgrounds.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention body mass index-for-age percentiles divided into 2 categories: normal weight (<85th percentile) and at risk for overweight plus overweight (AR + O) (>or=85th percentile).
Overall, 45.7% of the sample was classified as AR + O with a body mass index for age at the 85th percentile or higher. More girls from minority backgrounds (54.8%) were AR + O compared with non-Hispanic white girls (42%) (chi(2)(1) = 7.6; P =.006). Bivariate analyses indicated that girls and boys in the AR + O group did fewer minutes per day of vigorous physical activity, consumed fewer total kilojoules per day, and had fewer total grams of fiber per day than those in the normal-weight group. Boys in the AR + O group also did fewer minutes per day of moderate physical activity and watched more minutes per day of television on nonschool days than normal-weight boys. Final multivariate models indicated that independent of socioeconomic status (as assessed by household education level), girls had a greater risk of being AR + O if they were Hispanic or from another minority background (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-2.49) and a reduced risk of being AR + O as minutes per day of vigorous physical activity increased (OR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.97). A low level of vigorous physical activity was the only significant risk factor for boys being AR + O (OR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.95). Analyses based on meeting behavioral guidelines supported these findings and showed that failing to meet the 60 min/d moderate to vigorous physical activity guideline was associated with overweight status for both girls and boys. In addition, boys who failed to meet sedentary behavior and dietary fiber guidelines were more likely to be overweight.
Of the 7 dietary and physical activity variables examined in this cross-sectional study, insufficient vigorous physical activity was the only risk factor for higher body mass index for adolescent boys and girls. Prospective studies are needed to clarify the relative importance of dietary and physical activity behaviors on overweight in adolescence.
Physical Activity and Obesity, Second Edition, addresses an array of topics that explore and divulge the links between physical activity (or inactivity) and obesity. Leading scientists from various backgrounds team up to provide an unrivaled resource examining the latest research and developments in the field. Each chapter provides researchers and practitioners with a clear explanation of the concepts, research techniques, and results of studies critical to understanding physical activity and the obesity epidemic.
Exercise physiologist James S. Skinner, PhD, scrutinizes some popular exercise myths and speculates about why they endure. His comments are enlightening, entertaining, and even a bit philosophical.
Purpose: This study compared the effects of continuous (CON-EX) and intermittent (INT-EX) exercise on postprandial lipemia (PPL). Methods: Subjects were 18 inactive males (N = 7) and females (N = 11), aged 25 +/- 1.8 yr (mean +/- SE), (V) over circleO(2max) 38.4 +/- 1.5 (mL(.)kg(-1.)min(-1)), and BMI 23.2 +/- 0.8 (kg(.)m(-2)). After 48-h activity and 24-h dietary control periods, subjects consumed a high-fat meal (HFM) containing 1.5 g fat (88% of calories), 0.05 g protein, and 0.4 g carbohydrate per kilogram body weight for three trials: no exercise (NOEX), CON-EX, and INT-EX. Both exercise trials consisted of 30 min of treadmill running at 60% (V) over circleO(2max) INT-EX was conducted in a single session of three bouts, each lasting 10 min and separated by a 20-min rest period. Blood was collected before the HIM (0 h) and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 h post-HFM. Exercise trials were completed 12 h before the HFM. Trials were separated by 7-10 d and were performed in random order. Results: Plasma analysis indicated TG incremental area under the curve (AUC(I)) and TG incremental peak (Peak(I)) were significantly lower in INT-EX compared with NOEX, but CON-EX was not different from INT-EX or NOEX. Compared with females, males had significantly higher AUC(I), and Peak(I) in both exercise trials, but genders were not different in the NOEX trial. No difference was discovered among trials in high density lipoprotein (HDL)(Total)-C, HDL2-C, and HDL3-C, or fasting total cholesterol (TC) or fasting TC:HDL ratio. Females had higher fasting HDLTotal-C, HDL2-C, and HDL3-C compared with males. No gender or trial difference was found for fasting TC or TC:HDL ratio. Conclusions: Our data suggest that a single bout of INT-EX is more effective than CON-EX for lowering PPL as compared with NOEX in inactive, normolipidemic individuals.
ACSM Position Stand on the Appropriate Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 12, 2001, pp. 2145–2156. In excess of 55% of adults in the United States are classified as either overweight (body mass index = 25–29.9 kg·m−2) or obese (body mass index ≥ 30 kg·m−2). To address this significant public health problem, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that the combination of reductions in energy intake and increases in energy expenditure, through structured exercise and other forms of physical activity, be a component of weight loss intervention programs. An energy deficit of 500–1000 kcal·d−1 achieved through reductions in total energy intake is recommended. Moreover, it appears that reducing dietary fat intake to <30% of total energy intake may facilitate weight loss by reducing total energy intake. Although there may be advantages to modifying protein and carbohydrate intake, the optimal doses of these macronutritents for weight loss have not been determined. Significant health benefits can be recognized with participation in a minimum of 150 min (2.5 h) of moderate intensity exercise per week, and overweight and obese adults should progressively increase to this initial exercise goal. However, there may be advantages to progressively increasing exercise to 200–300 min (3.3–5 h) of exercise per week, as recent scientific evidence indicates that this level of exercise facilitates the long-term maintenance of weight loss. The addition of resistance exercise to a weight loss intervention will increase strength and function but may not attenuate the loss of fat-free mass typically observed with reductions in total energy intake and loss of body weight. When medically indicated, pharmacotherapy may be used for weight loss, but pharmacotherapy appears to be most effective when used in combination with modifications of both eating and exercise behaviors. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that the strategies outlined in this position paper be incorporated into interventions targeting weight loss and the prevention of weight regain for adults.
Because physical activity has a profound effect on body composition and since this statement is popular knowledge, one might expect to find numerous scientific studies of the changes which occur in body composition under the influence of physical regimen. However, an intensive search through the literature has revealed few studies on this topic, and these few have had almost exclusively adult men as subjects. As background for this examination of adolescents and the effect of physical activity on body composition, the studies involving adult subjects will be summarized.
Anthropometrical and skinfold appraisal of increased musculature or decreased subcutaneous fat tissues under the influence of various physical activities were reported by Tanner1 and Thompson et al.2 Densitometry was used by Behnke et al,3 who were the first to point out, in their study of specific gravity of football players, that it may be erroneous to regard an individual
To determine whether exercise intensity effects a change in body composition.
Twelve untrained, moderately overfat, weight-stable women were randomly assigned to a high-intensity (80% VO2max) or low-intensity (50% VO2max) exercise group. Subjects trained four times per week for 12 weeks in monitored sessions, with a duration sufficient to expend 300 kcal. During this time, subjects were instructed to maintain their normal diet and activity patterns.
Pretesting and posttesting included measurement of height, weight, body fat (via hydrostatic weighing), seven skinfold sites, seven circumference sites, and VO2max.
Results were analyzed using the Student's t test and paired samples t test.
Posttesting revealed no significant between-group differences for change in weight, percent body fat, fat mass, fat-free mass, sum of skinfold measurements, or sum of circumference measurements. Mean weight loss was 0.7 lb for the high-intensity group (P = .55) and 3.3 lb for the low-intensity group (P = .03). Hydrostatic data revealed that each group lost an identical amount of fat (5.0 lb), but the high-intensity group gained more than twice as much fat-free mass (4.3 vs 1.8 lb). The greater increase in fat-free mass by the high-intensity group explains why the low-intensity group had a greater absolute weight loss.
This study suggests that fat loss is a function of energy expended rather than exercise intensity. Therefore, if fat loss is the goal and time is limited, persons should exercise safely at as high an intensity as tolerable to expend as much energy as possible during their allotted time.
Daily physical activity is advocated by various federal health agencies for reducing many of the health risks affecting old
age, but older women are generally not heeding the message. The Health Belief Model proposes that sedentary living occurs
when people believe that the risks of exercising exceed the benefits. To clarify the beliefs that act as incentives and barriers
to more active living, the author asked 143 independent-living women aged 70 and older to respond to open-ended questions
on their beliefs about benefits and risks for 6 fitness activities: brisk walking, aquacize, riding a bike or cycling, stretching
slowly to touch the toes, modified push-ups from a kneeling position, and supine curl-ups. Content analysis organized perceived
risks into 19 categories and perceived benefits into 6 categories providing original data on the conceptions that older women
hold about the utility of various types of physical activity. Respondents generally recognized broad health benefits to fitness
activities, but beliefs about risks were strong, anatomically specific, and sometimes sensational in description. The findings
suggest that many older women feel physically vulnerable, are unsure about their actual risks and benefits in exercise settings,
and, in the face of that uncertainty, report medical reasons why they should be excused from fitness-promoting exercise.
The current study had two goals: first, to examine the stereotypes people have of particular foods by having them rate foods' names and nutrient descriptions; second, to determine if men and women rated food names and descriptions differently, and to examine the characteristics used to gauge salubrity. Of 33 foods presented, 16 had names rated better than their descriptions (a positive stereotype). In 11 cases, foods' descriptions were rated more positively than their names (a negative stereotype). Therefore, people have expectations about food names that do not match descriptions of foods' nutritional contents. Also, names of particular types of foods (e.g. fruits) were often perceived to be healthier than their corresponding descriptions. Women rated certain low-fat food names as more healthy compared to men. In addition, women tended to have bigger discrepancies between food names and their corresponding descriptions than did men, indicating that women were more likely to have biases about food names that did not match their ratings of the same foods' descriptions. Regression analyses indicated that women used fat content when judging healthfulness of food names, while men used fat content and vitamins and minerals. Men and women used similar characteristics when judging healthfulness of food descriptions.
Previous findings indicated that college-aged women (compared to men) were more likely to use stereotypes when judging food names by their healthfulness. The present study is a replication and extension of an earlier study, using older (i.e. not traditional college age) participants (M(age)=46). In general, men had fewer and smaller discrepancies between their evaluations of food names and descriptions than did females. As previously found, gender differences occurred for evaluations of food names rather than nutrient descriptions, with women using less information than men. The stereotype women used when judging food names involved negative attitudes toward dietary fat, whereas men appeared to take account of vitamin and mineral content in addition to fat. The older sample was generally more accurate (i.e. had smaller discrepancies when judging food names and descriptions) than were the previous sample of younger adults. Also, the current sample of older adults used more characteristics when evaluating food healthfulness of descriptions than did the previous sample of college students, indicating a more complex strategy of evaluating healthfulness of food descriptions.
Obesity and physical inactivity are common in the United States, but few studies examine this issue within rural populations. The present study uses nationally representative data to study obesity and physical inactivity in rural populations.
Data came from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey Sample Adult and Adult Prevention Module. Self-reported height and weight were used to calculate body mass index. Physical inactivity was defined using self-reported leisure-time physical activity. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi 2 tests, and logistic regression.
Obesity was more common among rural (20.4%, 95% CI 19.2%-21.6%) than urban adults (17.8%, 95% CI 17.2%-18.4%). Rural residents of every racial/ethnic group were at higher risk of obesity than urban whites, other factors held equal. Other predictors of obesity included being male, age 25-74, lacking a high school diploma, having physical limitations, fair to poor health, and a history of smoking. Proportionately more rural adults were physically inactive than their urban peers (62.8% versus 59.3%). Among rural residents, minorities were not significantly more likely to be inactive than whites. Males and younger adults were less likely to be inactive. Rural adults who were from the Midwest and South, had less than a high school education, had fair to poor health, and currently smoked were more likely to be inactive compared to their respective referent group.
The high prevalence of obesity and inactive lifestyles among rural populations call for research into effective rural interventions.
This study compared the effects of continuous (CON-EX) and intermittent (INT-EX) exercise on postprandial lipemia (PPL).
Subjects were 18 inactive males (N = 7) and females (N = 11), aged 25 +/- 1.8 yr (mean +/- SE), VO2max 38.4 +/- 1.5 (mL x kg(-1)x min(-1)), and BMI 23.2 +/- 0.8 (kg x m(-2)). After 48-h activity and 24-h dietary control periods, subjects consumed a high-fat meal (HFM) containing 1.5 g fat (88% of calories), 0.05 g protein, and 0.4 g carbohydrate per kilogram body weight for three trials: no exercise (NOEX), CON-EX, and INT-EX. Both exercise trials consisted of 30 min of treadmill running at 60% VO2max. INT-EX was conducted in a single session of three bouts, each lasting 10 min and separated by a 20-min rest period. Blood was collected before the HFM (0 h) and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 h post-HFM. Exercise trials were completed 12 h before the HFM. Trials were separated by 7-10 d and were performed in random order.
Plasma analysis indicated TG incremental area under the curve (AUCI) and TG incremental peak (PeakI) were significantly lower in INT-EX compared with NOEX, but CON-EX was not different from INT-EX or NOEX. Compared with females, males had significantly higher AUCI and PeakI in both exercise trials, but genders were not different in the NOEX trial. No difference was discovered among trials in high density lipoprotein (HDL)Total-C, HDL2-C, and HDL3-C, or fasting total cholesterol (TC) or fasting TC:HDL ratio. Females had higher fasting HDLTotal-C, HDL2-C, and HDL3-C compared with males. No gender or trial difference was found for fasting TC or TC:HDL ratio.
Our data suggest that a single bout of INT-EX is more effective than CON-EX for lowering PPL as compared with NOEX in inactive, normolipidemic individuals.
To examine the variation in the prevalences of obesity and type 2 diabetes in weight loss counseling by health providers and in other potential obesity-related determinants in 100 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States.
We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the largest telephone survey of health behaviors in the United States, of age-adjusted prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, intake of >or=five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, participation in 150 minutes of leisure-time physical activity per week, receipt of weight management advice, and reports of trying to lose or maintain weight among men and women more than 18 years old.
The age-adjusted prevalence of obesity ranged from 13.1% to 30.0% and that of type 2 diabetes from 3.3% to 9.2%. Among participants who had visited a physician for a routine checkup in the previous 12 months, 13.1% to 27.1% of all participants recalled receiving advice from a health professional about their weight, and 11.7% to 34.6% of overweight or obese participants recalled receiving advice to maintain or lose weight.
Significant differences in the prevalence of obesity and self-reported type 2 diabetes and in medical practice patterns regarding weight management advice exist among metropolitan statistical areas. These results suggest important opportunities to investigate reasons for these variations that could potentially be used to mitigate the current epidemic of obesity and to identify areas where obesity and diabetes prevention efforts may need to be targeted.
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U.S. power garden tools grew in slower pace
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- E.T. Poehlman
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