From: Hal Finney (hal@finney.org)
Date: Mon Mar 25 2002 - 13:31:55 MST
One of the paradoxes of current American culture is that despite an
emphasis on low-fat, healthy eating and exercise, people are fatter
today than ever. According to today's L.A. Times,
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-000021490mar25.story?coll=la-headlines-health-manual,
the reason may not be junk food or less time at the gym, but rather the
dozens of small labor-saving innovations which have been introduced into
our daily lives over the past few decades.
Blair contends that America's diet and leisure-time exercise habits
have changed little during the past few decades. Dietary surveys and
other data collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture "[suggest]
that energy intake in the United States has not increased during the
past 40 years," he writes. Studies of physical activity habits only
assess participation in leisure-time sports and fitness activities,
says Blair, who adds that these numbers have remained constant over
the last 25 years.
If people aren't eating more or doing less sports and fitness activities,
why the increase in fat? According to the article, it's the little things
that count: paying at the pump instead of walking into the gas station;
buying prepared salad instead of chopping up your own lettuce and carrots;
using your TV remote and garage door opener instead of walking a few feet.
Each of these things only costs a few calories, but they add up over the
course of the day to perhaps 100, which equals 10 pounds of fat per year.
The article suggests wearing a step counter, and setting a goal to
increase your steps per day by 2000. It didn't say how many most
people get, but 2000 steps is about 15 minutes of walking and will
burn maybe 90 calories, so that could make a significant difference
in the long term.
As I look at my life, it's true, there are many small things which save a
few seconds of time and effort here and there. I often keep a portable
phone next to my chair so I don't have to get up when the phone rings.
Computers have replaced many face to face visits with email. I am able
to work at home now, which wouldn't have been possible fifteen years ago,
and that means less walking. Even when I am in the office I will often
send email to a co-worker rather than go see if he is in his cubicle.
Drinks are sold in 32 ounce sizes so you don't have to get refills
so often. Everyone carries water bottles instead of finding a drinking
fountain (although maybe carrying the water uses more calories than you
save in not going to the fountain).
We've done so much to make our lives easier, but in the end it hurts
our health. Until we can take a pill and get the health benefits of
exercise, these little energy savings will be working against us.
Hal
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