Sedentary behavior linked to poor health in adults with severe obesity

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-01/uops-sbl011116.php

Public Release: 12-Jan-2016
Sedentary behavior linked to poor health in adults with severe obesity
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

Sedentary behavior is associated with poor cardiovascular health and diabetes in adults with severe obesity, independent of how much exercise they perform, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health-led study showed for the first time.

The finding, published online and scheduled for the March issue of the journal Preventive Medicine, could be used to design and test programs for adults with severe obesity that emphasize reducing time spent sitting, rather than immediately working toward increased moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity or exercise, such as brisk walking. In the U.S., 15 percent of adults have severe obesity, placing them at high risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, and premature mortality.

"Adults with severe obesity often have difficultly following national guidelines to participate in at least 30 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity for health benefits," said lead author Wendy C. King, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Pitt Public Health. "Our findings suggest that replacing sedentary behavior, like watching television or sitting at the computer, with low-intensity physical activities, such as light housework or going for a casual stroll, may improve cardiometabolic health in this population."

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