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Winter 2014 • Kentucky
Our bodies become more resistant to insulin
when consistently sedentary. Adults who
spend the most time sitting have a 112 percent increased chance of developing type 2
diabetes.
The numbers vary from person to person,
but it’s estimated that a person burns an
extra 50 calories per hour when standing,
compared to sitting. This might not sound
like a lot, but it adds up if someone sits for
eight hours a day, five days a week.
Standing just half that time means a person
will burn an extra 1000 calories each week
without changing diet or exercise. Do it for
a year, and that’s about 50,000 extra calories — the rough equivalent of running 15
marathons.
Research has shown that people who simply
take short walking breaks of a few minutes during sedentary periods have lower
rates of obesity and other risk factors for
diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Get up
and move at least once hourly!
SOS strategies to combat Resources: (other than
obesity across the
those listed above)
Partnership for a Fit KY http://www.fitky.
southern states:
org/resource-library/
Seven pillars of obesity prevention policies
embraced across the southern states focus
on:
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Early childhood
Food systems/access
Healthcare and healthcare systems
Nutrition policy
Physical activity
Worksite wellness
Schools
Specific action steps and national partners are identified on the SOS website: www.texashealthinstitute.org/
uploads/1/3/5/3/13535548/seven_strategies_sops_2014-15.pdf
The 2015 Southern Obesity Summit is slated to be held in early November in Jackson,
MS.
Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition
http://tweenslex.org/
Texas Health Institute, Southern Obesity
Summit http://www.texashealthinstitute.
org/obesity
About the Author
Carolyn Dennis, MS, RD, LD, LDE is a
Registered Dietitian licensed to practice in
KY, as well as a Licensed Diabetes Educator.
She has served as a consultant to Shaping
Kentucky’s Future Collaborative and is past
president of the KY Dietetic Association.
Carolyn served as Health Commissioner of
the Kentucky PTA after serving as chair of the
Taskforce on Childhood Obesity, and successfully working for passage of the so-called “Junk
Food bill”, which places nutritional guidelines
on competitive foods sold in Kentucky schools.
Contact her at Carolyn.Dennis@roadrunner.
com.
Kentucky had the highest percentage of obese high schools students in the
nation in 2013 at 18 percent. In addition, the Bluegrass State now has the fifth
highest adult obesity rate in the nation.
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