25 Mar 2009
Study: Morbidly obese sedentary for more than 99 percent of day

Another for my Studies in Stupidity series - and this one takes the cake. In fact, it's so stupid that I can't even bring myself to put it in the Humor container where it really belongs.

The findings show that the tested population was sedentary for more than 99 percent of the day and, on average, walked less than 2,500 steps per day...

OK, less than 2,500 steps per day is the average. Until the next paragraph:

On average, subjects took 3,763 ± 2,223 steps.

So which is it? And how can the average be plus or minus a number that's nearly 60% of it's own value? But wait, there's more:

The highest level of activity attained by any single individual during one 24-hour period was 28 minutes of moderate activity. No length of time was spent at a high level of activity for any of the individuals while under observation. Two individuals in this study spent the entire monitoring period in sedentary activity.

I can only only assume that none of the study participants worked: just getting into a car or bus and driving/riding to work, walking to and from the parking lot, etc., would take more than 28 minutes. Did they stand up to fix dinner for themselves? or did someone else prepare their dinner? And the two folks who didn't move for 24 hours: there had to be other physical ailments present (perhaps caused by obesity) because no one who's not being taken care of completely by another human could fail to move for 24 hours. And you're generally only taken care of when you're sick.

So how can this study even remotely be considered valid? You have dodgy math and reported findings that make no sense. Were they studying sedentary people who became obese, or obese people who became sedentary? Considering the source, is it possible that some of these folks had heart problems that made them slow down so much? What's the real story.

If I'd gotten results like this from a study based off electronic sensors, I'd be questioning the sensor output or usage. But I suppose if I did that, I might lose my place in line at the grant trough, and not get funding for next years Study in Stupidity.

A new study appearing in Clinical Cardiology examines the average fitness level of the morbidly obese (body mass indexes between 40.0 and 49.9). The findings show that the tested population was sedentary for more than 99 percent of the day and, on average, walked less than 2,500 steps per day -- far below healthy living guidelines of 10,000 steps per day.

(link) [EurekAlert!]

20:54 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link