It’s been a while since we’ve taken a hard look at emerging research regarding obesity. Today, several stories offer some needed insights.<\/p>\n
Australian researchers report that watching lots of TV is associated with a higher risk of death. This wouldn’t seem novel—except that even regular exercisers who had a lot of tube time had a higher risk of dying. As lead author Dr. David Dunstan explains, it’s because people are losing the minor bouts of activity<\/a> around the house:<\/p>\n It’s not the sweaty type of exercise we’re losing. It’s the incidental moving around, walking around, standing up and utilizing muscles that [doesn’t happen] when we’re plunked on a couch in front of a television.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This phenomenon of the ways in which we’re getting less activity isn’t restricted to sitting on the sofa. We detail in our book Small Choices, Big Bodies<\/a><\/i> the many ways in which society has engineered physical activity out of people’s lives through the spread of labor-saving devices, among other modern conveniences. Our lives may be more convenient, but we’re also burning fewer calories.<\/p>\n Taking a different approach, researchers from Tulane are pointing the finger at snack food in the obesity debate. It’s worth pointing out that one of them is Tom “Dr. No” Farley<\/a>—NYC’s newest nanny and Tom Frieden<\/a> replacement—who yesterday promoted the city’s overzealous salt reduction initiative<\/a>. As Reuters reports<\/a>, Farley and coauthors report that “the widespread availability of snacks could be fuelling obesity.”<\/p>\n By researchers’ estimates, this availability “problem” could lead to people consuming an extra 2,600 calories per year. Doing the math, that works out to just over 7 calories a day. That’s right—the equivalent of 5 raisins<\/a>. That’s hardly worth making a fuss over (unless your modus operandi<\/i> is playing the blame game and creating draconian regulations). An easier option might be to ask people to take a 3-minute walk<\/a> on the way to get those raisins.<\/p>\n And lastly, as USA TODAY details, a British study finds that having a few extra pounds isn’t even necessarily a bad thing<\/a>. Researchers from Oxford report that having a little extra “cushion” in the hips, thighs, and buttocks is healthy and protects against heart and metabolic problems.<\/p>\n\n