[ad_1]
NEW YORK (AP) – This may seem like a contradiction, but more adults in the United States say that they exercise at the same time as more of them become obese.
About 24 percent of adults last year said that they were exercising. enough each week to meet the government's recommendations for muscle building and aerobic exercise, according to a major annual health survey. That was up 21 percent in 2015.
The same survey indicates that 31 percent of adults reported that they were obese last year, up slightly. Another more rigorous government study also found that adult obesity improves
So if more Americans are exercising, how can one also get fatter?
Some experts think the results may reflect two groups of people – the haves. "It is possible that people becoming more active already have a normal weight," said John Jakicic, director of the Center for Research on Management of Physical Activity and Weight at the University of Pittsburgh [19659006]. The figures come from an annual national in-person survey that, for more than 60 years, has been an important indicator of health trends in the United States. Approximately 35,000 adults respond each year, including questions about how often, how long and how vigorous their hobbies are.
The survey gives a good overview of the trends, but it is not perfect. According to Jakicic, people overestimate their physical activity, just as they exaggerate their size and weight, he says.
Ten-year-old federal guidelines provide that adults should do weightlifting or other muscle building exercises at least twice a week. They also advise adults to do at least 75 minutes a week of high intensity aerobic activity, such as running, or 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, or a combination both.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined responses to the surveys from 2010 to 2015 and found that the level of leisure exercise was more common in some states than in others.
Nearly one-third of Colorado's older adults, Idaho and New Hampshire abided by the exercise guidelines. It was only about one-seventh in Mississippi, Kentucky, and South Carolina
. Exercise levels were more common among those who worked than those who did not, according to the study
. during the years covered by the CDC report. But more recent data show that more adults said that they were exercising at recommended levels in 2016 and 2017.
It's unclear why, said Jena Shaw Tronieri, a weight loss specialist from the University of Pennsylvania. "I do not know if this will explain the rise recently, but we know that these cyclical factors are part of the context," she said.
Of course, unhealthy eating has a lot to do with obesity. Research indicates that "a change of diet is necessary to see any lump or reduction in obesity," said Tainya Clarke, one of the report's authors.
___
Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This document may not be published, distributed, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link
