Last week we poked fun at a piece of office equipment that is supposed to help people work out while sitting down.  With Ellen DeGeneres’s help, we showed how the “Hawaii Chair” is better for entertainment than for exercising.

But there really is office furniture that could help you stand up and move more throughout the workday.  A recent New York Times article (you may have to click through an ad the first time)described how some companies are making “walking workstations” the new twist in corporate fitness programs.  The article describes that there is now even a furniture manufacturer that makes a commercial version of a walking workstation (to the tune of $4,000).   Homemade versions, such as the one in the picture shown in this blog can be built for much less.  This Cooper Institute staffer cobbled together her contraption for about $700 eight years ago.

Much of the impetus behind the walking workstation comes from Dr. James Levine, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic.  He coined the term, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, to describe any physical activity that does not include structured or programmed exercise.  In other words, NEAT includes everything from fidgeting to flinging a Frisbee® for Fido.  He found that the difference between obese people and lean people was about 2.5 hours of standing/walking per day.  Two and one-half hours!?!?  Who has that kind of time??

Dr. Levine didn’t take the challenge of finding 2.5 hours for physical activity sitting down.  Since the workplace is where most people spend the biggest chunk of their weekday (and most workers are sitting down working at computers), it seemed obvious to him that somehow, physical activity could be worked into the work day. Voila! – the walking workstation. 

So does it work?  In a recent study, Dr. Levine showed that the obese participants burned about 100 calories more per hour by working and walking at a self-selected speed than when working while seated.  Even if people only used a walkstation for one-half of their work day, that’s 400 calories burned without a trip to the gym. 

For more information on the benefits of standing, check out our earlier blog.

Let us know if you think you think a walking workstation would work at your company?

As a dietitian I've heard many consumers complain that healthy foods cost too much today. And as a consumer who compares prices between supermarket chains, I've begun to drop my own jaw at the extraordinarily high prices of lean meats and produce, like $5 for a half pint of raspberries! So, is it really true? Are chips, cookies, and other high-calorie foods associated with lower monetary costs?

Researchers at the University of Washington say "yes"! After comparing prices of 372 foods and beverages at three major Seattle supermarkets in 2004 and 2006 they concluded that prices for the least calorie-dense foods (largely fruits and vegetables) jumped 19.5%, while prices for the most calorie-dense foods actually dropped slightly, down 1.8%. Thus, being about to replace fats, sweets, and high-calorie snacks with lower calorie, more nutritious options is becoming an ever greater economic challenge for Americans.

So what's the frugal health-conscious consumer to do? Here are some suggestions. Please share your strategies for eating healthfully on a budget in the comments box below. 

• Frozen (without high-fat sauces) and canned (low in sodium and in its own juices) vegetables and fruits are just as healthy as fresh; compare prices but note that according to a recent USDA report, many of the vegetables and fruits studied were actually cheapest in their fresh form.
• Inexpensive options for fruit include apples, bananas, grapefruit, and watermelon in season.
• Inexpensive options for vegetables include cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, lettuce, and carrots.
• During the summer months, be sure to visit your local farmer's market for low prices on local, fresh produce.
• Low-cost whole grains include oatmeal and brown rice; look for day-old bread stores in you area for a variety of whole grain bread products at lower prices.
• Plant sources of protein (like peanut butter and cooked dry beans) tend to be cheaper than lean meats and poultry; however, eggs and canned fish can usually fit within your budget, too.
• For foods that can be frozen or have a long shelf-life, buy what's on special and freeze or store it for later use.
• Compare unit prices (e.g., price/ounce) listed on labels on the store's shelves to find the best buy; use unit prices to compare different brands of the same food or different sizes of the same brand.

 Sometimes we have to laugh – at what people come up as “easy” ways to be active.   Watch this video to view a hilarious clip of Ellen DeGeneres product testing a new type office equipment that will help people stay in shape while sitting down.

We have to ask, just how productive can you be using the Hawaii Chair?

Health versus taste and temptation – it’s an ongoing quandary not only for Americans, but also the restaurants that feed them. While consumer surveys report that many Americans would like healthier menu items added to fast-food restaurant menus surveys also account that some Americans would like to see more “enormous sandwiches” made available.

So what’s a Wendy’s or Taco Bell to do? We at Stand Up & Eat would like to see fast-food restaurants continue to roll-out healthier menu items like fruit/vegetable sides and grilled chicken salads and sandwiches without special sauces or crispy add-ins. But, many of these eateries realize that there’s still money to be made from the indulgent menu items. Therefore, it's up to you (the consumer) to increase the supply of healtheir options by increasing the demand.

What types of food are you finding at your local fast-food restaurants? Here’s a list of some of the healthier and highest calorie options we’re seeing...

McDonalds (www.mcdonalds.com)

Healthier: Plain Hamburger, Grilled Chicken Snack Wraps, Premium Grilled Chicken Salads with low fat dressing, Fruit and Walnut Salad, Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

Highest Calorie: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Big N’ Tasty with Cheese, McRib, Premium Crispy Chicken Sandwiches, Big and Deluxe Breakfasts

Pizza Hut (www.pizzahut.com)

Healthier: Veggie topped Thin N’ Crispy or Fit n’ Delicious Pizza

Highest Calorie: Meat Lovers Stuffed Crust or Personal Pan Pizza, P’Zone Pizza, Tuscani Pasta

Wendy’s (www.wendys.com)

Healthier: Mandarin Chicken or Chicken Caesar Salad with fat free or light dressing, Mandarin Orange Cup, Jr. Hamburger, Grilled Chicken Go Wrap, Small Chili

Highest Calorie: Chicken BLT and Southwest, Double or Triple with Everything and Cheese, Baconator

Burger King (www.burgerking.com)

Healthier: Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad with fat free or light dressing, Chicken Cranberry Walnut Salad, Flame-broiled Hamburger

Highest Calorie: Cheesy Bacon Tenderscrisp, Sweet Breakfast Melt Sandwich, Texas Regular, Double, and Triple Whopper Sandwiches, Bacon Double Homestyle Melt, Sourdough Bacon Cheeseburger, Country Pork Sandwich, BK Double, Triple, and Quad Stacker, Regular and Loaded Steakhouse Burger, Enormous Omelet Sandwich

Taco Bell (www.tacobell.com)

Healthier: Grilled Steak Soft Taco, Spicy Chicken Soft Taco, Fiesta, Bean, or Spicy Chicken Burrito, Meximelt, Cheese, Chicken, or Steak Quesadilla

Highest Calorie: Zesty Chicken Border Bowl, Grilled Stuffed Burritos, Fiesta Taco Salad, Zesty Chicken or Southwest Steak Border Bowl

Subway (www.subway.com)

Healthier: 4- or 6-inch Veggie Delite, Ham, Turkey Breast, Roast Beef, or Oven Roasted Chicken Breast on Wheat Sandwiches, Chicken and Dumpling, Minestrone, Roasted Chicken Noodle, Spanish Style Chicken with Rice, Tomato Garden Vegetable Rotini, Vegetable Beef, or Wild Rice with Chicken Soup

Highest Calorie: 6- or 12-inch Chicken and Bacon Ranch, Meatball Marinara, Spicy Italian, Tuna,  Big Philly Cheesesteak, Pastrami, and The Feast Sandwiches, 8” Pizzas, Chipotle Steak and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich or Wrap, Double Bacon and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich or Wrap

We all know that physical activity is good for us.  And researchers have tested interventions that are effective in getting people to exercise more.  But only 49% of us get the recommended amount of physical activity and 13.5% are completely sedentary. 

So where’s the disconnect?  One factor may be that research interventions are rarely “translated” into practical programs that can be broadly disseminated and implemented at the community-level by non-research personnel. 

Until now. 

A new study in last week’s American Journal of Preventive Medicine describes how two evidence-based (i.e., rigorously tested), behaviorally-focused research interventions were successfully used by community organizations to help older adults get up and get moving.  One program, called Active Choices , came from studies conducted at Stanford University.  The other program, Active Living Every Day, was based on several large clinical trials conducted at The Cooper Institute that tested a lifestyle approach to physical activity adoption.  The programs used similar theories and messages but Active Choices was provided to participants via the telephone whereas Active Living Every Day participants met face-to-face each week.  The participants in these programs were more ethnically and economically diverse and had more health problems than the participants in the original research trials.

This new study found that participants in both programs significantly increased their weekly hours of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity and their total physical activity time.  Also, the participants on average decreased their body mass index.

Bottomline?  This study showed that these two research-based programs could be successfully translated into real-world settings.  The next step is to find out how to get more community organizations to adopt such programs.  Stay tuned, because research is underway on this topic. 

In the meantime, what are your suggestions for getting evidence-based physical activity programs more widely disseminated so that the 51% of the population who are not meeting the physical activity recommendations can join in on the fun (and get the health benefits) of an active lifestyle?

Study after study have found that people who keep daily records of foods and beverages consumed as well as minutes of physical activity have greater success balancing calories and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. In fact, a recent large study conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that participants who logged their daily consumption six or seven days a week (over a 6 month period) lost on average 18 pounds, whereas those who logged only one day a week or less lost only 9 pounds.

 If you've never tried it, you've probably said to yourself, "logging takes too much time". If you have tried it, you've probably realized:

• Logging increases your awareness. You become more aware of what and when you are eating as well as how a little bite here and a little bite there can really add up!
• Logging helps you measure your progress. You can set goals to eat more or less of certain foods and then look back to see if you met those goals.
• Logging helps you plan ahead. You discover triggers for eating too much (or too little) and can make plans to avoid or adapt to this trigger. For example, if you overate last week when your family was out to dinner, you can make plans to order a smaller portion at the restaurant this week.
• Logging increases your motivation. You will think twice about taking that extra piece of chocolate if you know you have to write it down!

Little do many people know, logging can take less than ten minutes a day. Here are a few tips:

1. Find a food and physical activity log that works for you. You have lots of choices. You can use a simple spiral-bound notebook that you can keep in your purse or pocket or you can opt to log with a PDA or online. Here is a food log and physical activity log that you can print out and use. Or, you might try a web-based log like CalorieKing.com (subscription required) or SparkPeople.com (free).
2. Focus on the behaviors you are trying to change. If you are eating a low-fat diet already, don't waste time tracking your fat grams. Track calories or fruits and vegetables, instead. Likewise, if you eat a healthy breakfast every day but find yourself eating less healthy foods at dinner and lunch, don't bother with logging breakfast.
3. Fit logging into your day. Don't wait until the end of the day to record your foods and physical activities. Determining what and how much can be difficult when it happened hours before. Even if you only have a few seconds, scribble down your food and activities immediately after you eat, or complete them. At night, you can re-write or type these things into your log and add the details.

Share your successes or struggles with logging your foods and/or physical activities below.

In two of our recent Stand Up & Eat blogs (Just Say No? and Technology and Physical Activity: Foe and Friend), we described the calorie balance dilemma that has occurred in modern times.  That is, the creation of labor-saving devices that keep us from burning calories and the development of some technologies might be able to support us as we try to exercise more.  We now have evidence that one of our culture’s most prevalent couch potato technologies – video games – may actually work to get kids up and moving.

Published recently in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the study recruited 18 children who were six to 12 years old.  Researchers compared the calories burned by each child while they were resting, doing a seated video game, and doing two active video games of different intensities.   One was an active bowling game and the other was a more vigorous action game.  Each child played all the games for five minutes with a five minute rest period between games. 

The results?  Compared to the calories the children burned at rest, they burned 39%, 98% and a whopping 451% more calories while playing the seated video game, the bowling game, and the running game, respectively.

So it appears that playing active video games can result in meaningful amounts of calories burned.  That’s good news.  It remains to be seen if children will choose active video games over sedentary ones when given the option.  Also, we won’t enter the fray about whether or not video games – of any kind – are good for developing brains or the potential concerns about the already high amount of time that children spend indoors.   Still, it is intriguing to think that one of our biggest calorie-burning enemies – video games – may help us activate our kids and reduce their risk of obesity.

What do you think about using video games to promote physical activity?  Write your comment in the blog space below.

Now that school's back in session you may be wondering what choices your kids have when eating away from home. In most schools, foods and beverages are available through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) school meals (National School Breakfast and National School Lunch Program) as well as the sale of "competitive foods." While USDA school meal programs must meet federal nutrition standards, competitive foods do not have to meet federal nutrition standards unless they are sold inside food service areas during mealtimes. Thus, competitive foods found in school stores and snack bars often include chocolate and other kinds of candy (e.g., chocolate chip cookies), salty snacks not low in fat (e.g., potato and nacho chips), soda pop, and 2% or whole milk. Schools often argue that these foods keep participation rates high (leading to revenue for the school) and prepare students for the real world by providing choices.

To see how your state and school district rank in terms of more nutritious vs. less nutritious foods and beverages available to purchase see the tables provided at the end of this report provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a recent study, CDC analyzed data from the 2006 School Health Profiles for public secondary schools in 36 states and 12 urban school districts. The report highlights several key findings:

• In 2006, in all 36 states and all but one of 12 large urban school districts, 62%-94% of schools allowed students to purchase snack foods or beverages from vending machines at the school or at the school store, canteen, or snack bar.
• In 28 states and five districts, fruits and vegetables were the least common items available, and in 34 states and 11 districts, bottled water was the most common item available.
• During 2004-2006, the availability during school lunch periods of some less nutritious competitive foods and beverages at schools decreased across states, but availability did not decrease before school or during any school hours when meals are not being served.

If you would like to see healthier choices offered in your local schools consider joining a School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) or similar group, if available in your community. 

Tranquil. Beautiful. Bucolic.

These are all words that can describe a walk on a country road.  Another word is, “hazardous.”  When most people think of neighborhood barriers to walking, they most often think of the perils of the concrete jungle – unsafe or nonexistent sidewalks, no crosswalks or pedestrian right of ways, risk of getting mugged, poor lighting, and other urban challenges.

It is often assumed that it is much easier for people living in rural communities to find ways to be more physically active.  But rural communities deal with barriers of their own.  As the above photo attests, there is rarely a shoulder on the roads.  This problem is compounded in the winter in northern climates when snow banks occupy what little shoulder space there is.  Then you have the problem of oncoming traffic that is less frequent than what you would experience in suburban or urban settings, but is usually traveling at a very high speed (there are not a lot of speed traps in rural America).  Add to that undulating hills that can limit sight lines and fast-moving cars can be on top of you before you know it with little room for corrective action.

Another challenge for going for a rural walk around the block is that the “block” can be a multi-mile trek.  That can be fine for someone who is fit but wouldn’t be a good starting point for people who are simply trying to add more activity to their lives.  And it is quite likely that on a walk in the country, you will happen upon farm dogs who, rightly so, fiercely protect their territory.  It can be a scary – and potentially dangerous – encounter. 

A total lack of street lights means that walks in the country need to be completed during daylight hours.  That’s fine in the summer, but when the days shorten as winter approaches, it becomes a major limiting factor to keep up a walking routine for those living in the country. 

But, you say, “People in rural settings are more physically active in their daily work routine.”  That’s not necessarily so as only a few of our rural neighbors actually are farmers, and those who are, use modern machinery that produce high yields with little energy expenditure from the operator. 

So what’s the point of this blog?  People in all kinds of settings have challenges to becoming more physically active.  Check out this Stand Up & Eat article for ideas to assess and correct walkability issues in the setting in which you live. 

Also, share your suggestions for overcoming barriers to being physically active in rural, suburban, or urban settings in the comments section below.