In fact, people who are walking up to 15,000 steps are still putting on the pounds, a new study has discovered.
Having said that, the study group were all students in their first year at university, and freshmen typically gain up to 4 kg (9 lbs) as home-cooked food is replaced by takeaways.
The walkers were at least putting on less weight than that and had gained 1.5 kg (3.5 lbs) over the six months of the study. But some weight gain was seen across all the walking groups, whether they were walking 10,000, 12,500 or 15,000 steps six days a week.
It’s a message that’s the conclusion of many studies: you can’t outrun (or walk) a bad diet.
The latest study was carried out by a research team from Brigham Young University, who monitored 120 freshmen to see if walking could help them keep off the pounds. “Exercise alone is not always the most effective way to lose weight. If you track steps, it might have a benefit in increasing physical activity, but our study showed it won’t translate into maintaining weight or preventing weight gain,” said lead researcher Bruce Bailey.
Although walking didn’t help the students lose weight, the extra activity could well have a positive impact on the students’ emotional wellbeing and overall health. And it has to be better than sitting in front of a PC every day, the researchers add.
(Source: Journal of Obesity, 2019; 1: doi: 10.1155/2019/4036825)
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