Life in the 21st century offers conveniences galore, including riding lawnmowers, food processors, and dishwashers. Obvious improvements over yesteryear's horse-and-buggy days include indoor flushing toilets, automobiles, and hot water heaters. And of course, there's the remote control.
Even children's toys have taken an automated turn. Motorized scooters and battery-controlled mini-cars enable children to ride around the block in ease. Videos and computer games entertain people of all ages.
The Internet allows near instant communication. You can send an email or instant message to anywhere in the world in less time than it takes to make a long-distance call. Technology certainly has made life easier. But the average American lifestyle also makes it easier to be inactive.
A Look at the Past
A group of researchers looked at the impact today's technology has on health by examining a group of people who's lifestyle mirrors that of past generations. Old Order Amish communities remain virtually unchanged from the way people lived 150 years ago. They still farm with horse and plow. Electrical appliances have no place in Amish kitchens. Food is raised and grown, preserved, and prepared the "old fashioned" way. Furniture and clothing are made by hand.
In the week-long study, 98 Old Order Amish adults living in Ontario, Canada, wore pedometers to keep track of the number of steps they took daily. They also answered questions about their physical activity. Researchers measured height and weight and calculated their BMI (body mass index) and percent of body fat.
Researchers found that only nine percent of the women were obese, and 27 percent were overweight. A quarter of the men studied were overweight, and none of them were obese. In contrast, about 31 percent of Americans are obese and 65 percent are overweight. Canadians fare a little better: About 15 percent are obese and about 50 percent are overweight.
Here is what was surprising: The Old Order Amish diet consists of high-fat, high-sugar foods, typically including meat, potatoes, gravy, eggs, vegetables, bread, pies, and cakes. This suggests Amish adults are able to maintain a more ideal body weight through physical activity, despite a high caloric intake.
Apparently hard work and lots of walking is a major factor to weight control. On average, the Amish participated in roughly six times the amount of weekly physical activity performed by nearly 2,000 participants in a survey in 12 modernized nations. Amish men took 18,425 steps daily. They engaged in vigorous physical activity 10 hours a week and spent nearly 43 hours in moderate intensity activity. The Amish women took an average 14,196 steps a day, spent a little more than three hours working hard, and nearly 40 hours a week in moderate intensity physical activity.
"The Amish were able to show us just how far we've fallen in the last 150 years or so in terms of the amount of physical activity we typically perform," said David R. Bassett, PhD, the lead researcher for the study. "Their lifestyle indicates that physical activity played a critical role in keeping our ancestors fit and healthy."
Present Reality
The study suggests that a large decline in work-related physical activity in North America over the past two centuries – largely due to technological advances – is a major contributing factor to the modern obesity epidemic. Few Americans want to step back in time, give up modern conveniences, and live in Amish communities. But that's not a reason to give up or resign to the trend of obesity.
"It is unreasonable to suggest that we return to a lifestyle where vigorous physical activity dominates our workplace," said Bassett. "What we should do is realize through this study that the modern environment has changed for the worst in terms of promoting activity and good health. It will be up to each of us to adapt to this reality by finding new opportunities to become and stay active."
Step Up Your Activity Level
Instead of trying to make dramatic lifestyle changes, incorporate physical activity habits into your life – step by step. Based on a recent study of middle-aged women, researchers learned that taking at least 10,000 steps a day can help you keep your weight under control and decrease your risk of overweight-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. That's equivalent to walking 5 miles a day, which could be a challenge at first. But it's achievable.
A healthy lifestyle is made up of lots of small choices. There are at least 100 simple things you can do to change your life – simple steps you can take to increase your activity level. Set realistic goals and take small steps to meet them. |
