The title of this blog may seem like a “duh” statement and yet, few studies have documented such an equation.  Until now.

The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study followed nearly 5,000 men and women, who at baseline were between 18 and 30 years old.  They had periodic, comprehensive assessments including dietary intake, health habits such as smoking, education attainment, and marital status so that these factors could be controlled in the walking and weight change analyses.

What the researchers found was that when they averaged the whole group together, everyone gained weight over the 15-year period.  BUT, when the scientists categorized everyone by their starting weight and their walking status, it became very apparent that those who walked, gained the least amount of weight compared to those who did not walk.  Plus, the more people walked the less weight they gained.  For example, the researchers calculated that for each additional one-half hour per week of walking that the heaviest women did, their weight gain was reduced by about a pound a year.

In fact, people who walked a lot, especially if they were among the heavier participants at the start, maintained their baseline weight or even lost weight during the study. 

So clearly, walking works to burn calories and protect against the middle-age “spare” tire.  Good news because walking is what people like to do most for physical activity.  Now, the question is, how do we get more people walking?

What are your ideas??

Gordon-Larsen P, et al.  Fifteen-year longitudinal trends in walking patterns and their impact on Weight change.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  2009;89:19-26.