KTK-Nutrition

Many of us can’t go to the gym or participate in our usual fitness classes right now, but we can still go for a walk.   And walking is good for your health.   A new study by the National Cancer Institute, CDC and the National Institute on Aging finds the more you walk, the longer your lifespan.   The article in JAMA notes:   “Greater number of steps per day were associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality”.  What was the study? Researchers looked at 4840 adults at least 40 years of age who wore a step counter for up to five days over the study period of 2003-2006.   Not just any step counter but an accelerometer that not only measured steps taken but also the intensity of the walking.    How many steps did study participants take? The average number of steps taken a day by this group was 9124.   Those taking 8000 steps a day had significantly lower mortality than those taking 4000 steps a day. Going up to 12,000 steps...

America is growing, not just in terms of population but also in size.   The Editorial in our local paper reads:   Obesity rates remain a national concern .   As the editorial notes, too many Americans are getting bigger.   Trust for Americas’ Health released their 2017 Obesity report.   The report found that, “far too many Americans, both adult and children, are significantly overweight to the extent that it jeopardizes their overall health and well-being.”    States vary a lot in the number of adults who are overweight or obese.   West Virginia leads the nation as 37.7% of the adults in West Virginia are obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. The state with the lowest rate of obese adults was Colorado at 22.3%.   If you are interested in your state, visit Adult Obesity Rate by State, 2016 .   Some states and their rankings are noted below: States % Obese Adults (BMI 30+) District of Columbia, H...

Can you walk your way to better health?   Is taking your dog for a walk every day good for your health? Walking for Heart Health According to an article in NPR, even moderate-intensity walking can be as effective as running in terms of reducing one’s risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.   So many people think exercise has to be going to the gym, jogging, participating in a sport like basketball.   All these are great activities but going for a walk also has health benefits. The American Heart Association notes, “walking is one of the simplest ways to get active and stay active”.   The organization recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise like walking.   But it doesn’t have to be done all at once.   No time for a long walk, then “even 10-minute activity sessions can be added up over the week”.    The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition has some suggestions for adding more steps to you...