Getting Clarity on Physical Activity?
The June 6th issue of Time covers Getting Fit. For the social marketers two points came out loud and clear. One,
the positioning of physical activity is being made in opposition to
obesity [in contrast to being part of the obesity solution. A not so subtle shift by those folks].
We
have two epidemics in this country. One is obesity, the other is
physical inactivity, laments Dr. Tim Church, medical director of the
Cooper Institute, a fitness research center in Dallas. One is a topic of cocktail conversation and the focus of bestselling books. The other is ignored.
The second point is one I first ran into during the release of the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health where some data were suggesting 3 10-minute bursts of activity were as beneficial as 30 minutes of continuous activity. If this gets reinforced by the federal agencies, it
could be a tremendous change in what the behavior [product] is we are
asking people to do, and it obviously impacts issues around place and
price as well. Who can argue with a 10-minute anywhere message versus the 30-minute (suck it up) one?
In
recognition of the risks of rampant inactivity, this year the federal
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which have been issued every five
years since 1980, included its most explicit recommendations to date on
exercise. The scientists who wrote the guidelines struggled to boil
down a complex array of research findings. The results, alas, were
somewhat baffling. Americans were advised to get 30 min. per day of
moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, 60 min.
per day if they were trying to control their weight and up to 90 min.
per day to maintain weight loss. Even a temperate government scientist
like Kohl admits that "there's a need to clarify that. And there seems
to be a consensus on what the clarification should be. The rock-bottom
message should be 30 minutes a day, five days a week, says Church. And
while 30 uninterrupted minutes are preferable, three 10-min. bursts
also do the trick. As for what moderate means, Kohl offers this
guidance: Walking at about 3 to 3.5 miles per hour is moderate. If you
can't maintain a conversation and your heart is beating rapidly, then
you've probably crossed into vigorous.
Now we need to take these new behaviors and turn them into more effective social marketing programs. Comments and suggestions are welcomed. See the envelope icon in the top left hand corner.
8:48:22 AM 
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