Active Living Program News
Comments on Physical Activity Recommendations From the New Dietary Guidelines
The newest version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans debuted in early 2005. This version includes more thorough recommendations on physical activity than the previous editions had. Steven N. Blair, lead author of Active Living Every Day and CEO of The Cooper Institute, and James R. Morrow Jr. recently wrote an editorial to explain the recommendations and to help people avoid any confusion surrounding the guidelines. Health and wellness professionals can use this explanation when helping people become more active and improve their health.
The popular press highlighted two aspects of the guidelines that discuss the amount of physical activity suggested for the prevention of weight gain (60 minutes) and the maintenance of weight loss in formerly obese people (90 minutes). Little attention was given to the 30 minutes a day needed for health benefits. Blair and Morrow state that the tone of many of these stories makes it seem that 30 minutes a day doesn’t provide significant health value. But they disagree.
“There is an enormous amount of data, both from observational studies on morbidity and morality and controlled clinical trials…which support the 30-min recommendation as providing substantial health benefit. For example, this dose of activity produces a cardiorespiratory fitness level that is associated with a 50% lower mortality rate than observed for unfit individuals.”
For those who work in worksite or public health promotion, it’s important to communicate that the current guidelines are not radically different from those stated in previous editions or even those stated by other experts. Focus on the problem of physical inactivity and educate about the substantial health benefits resulting from 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. This will prevent weight gain for some, while others will need to increase their level of physical activity to prevent weight gain or sustain a large weight loss.
In commenting on the guidelines for preventing weight gain, Blair and Morrow suggest that the benchmarks of 60 to 90 minutes of exercise are highly subjective. For some people, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity is enough to prevent weight gain; for others, it might be 60 minutes or more. The amount needed for preventing weight gain is very individual and may be determined to some extent by genetics. Blair and Morrow explain that a person who is meeting the recommendation of 30 minutes of activity per day but still gaining weight may need to increase his or her level of physical activity, reduce sedentary behavior, or reduce the number of calories consumed until he or she achieves energy balance and can maintain a stable weight.
To read the complete editorial by Steven Blair and James Morrow Jr., please click here. To learn more about behavior change programs designed and proven to help people achieve the public health standards, visit the Active Living Partners Web site at www.ActiveLiving.info.
Source
Blair, Steven N., and James R. Morrow Jr. 2005. Comments on U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. Vol 2, p. 137-142.
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