Poll: Do You Like Your Info Sugar-Coated or Plain?
By: Dean Anderson,
DailySpark Blogger
12/18/2008 11:54 AM
: 124 comments
I collect news items and research reports on fitness, weight management, and motivation as part of my job. Sometimes, I find interesting facts or ideas, and report them to you here in my blog, or use them to write articles for SparkPeople.
But sometimes, I have to wonder whether you really want to know. For example:
Here’s one study that says 65% of us are meeting the national guidelines for exercise.
Here’s another one that says that 67% of us are overweight or obese, and that the obesity epidemic is getting steadily worse.
Is it just me, or do you see a problem here, too?
Of course, it’s possible that those exercise guidelines are just fine. 150 minutes of moderate cardo exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise per week probably is enough to maintain decent cardiovascular health–if you’re not overweight and don’t have other weight-related risk factors for heart disease. Maybe the reason more and more of us become overweight or obese every year is that we manage to eat more than we should even though we’re doing “enough” exercise.
But I have to wonder how helpful those guidelines are for people who are overweight, or for those of us who have trouble maintaining our weight loss because we have a tendency to gain weight easily. And if that’s 67% of us, what sense does it make to promote those government guidelines at all?
There’s yet another study which says that it may take as much as 3 to 4 hours of physical activity per day to maintain a normal weight. Not all of it has to be “exercise,” but it does have to be more demanding than sitting in a chair and poking at a keyboard.
I wonder how many people look at all this confusing and seemingly contradictory information, and just give up on trying to figure out how to lose weight. Or end up picking one of the dozens of fad diets or gimmicks that come out every year, because they really don’t know what else to do?
Sometimes, too much information can be worse than not enough, leading to what’s been called the “paralysis of analysis.” You spend so much time trying to figure out what to do, you end up not doing much at all.
As a health educator, I also wonder a lot what really works best. Are people more likely to be successful in the long run if they know from the very beginning what they may really have to do to accomplish their goals, or will that just scare them off? Is it better to “sugar-coat” things a little bit so that people will at least get started? Many people will get significant health and fitness benefits if they only lose 10% of their weight, and never make it to the goal weight they’d really like to achieve. Maybe they’ll be happy with that, and maybe they won’t.
So, you can see the dilemma. Do I tell you that the government recommends 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise, 5 days per week, or that it might take as much as 3-4 hours of additional physical activity per day for you to lose the weight you want and keep it off? Or do I tell you both and hope it doesn't leave you scratching your head or make you so frustrated that you don't do anything?
How do you handle conflicting and confusing information like this? Do you:
spend a lot of time trying to figure out the best approach;
just jump in and experiment yourself until you find something that works for you;
get frustrated and try some fad diet or pill that promises results?
ignore it and keep doing what you've been doing?
But sometimes, I have to wonder whether you really want to know. For example:
Here’s one study that says 65% of us are meeting the national guidelines for exercise.
Here’s another one that says that 67% of us are overweight or obese, and that the obesity epidemic is getting steadily worse.
Is it just me, or do you see a problem here, too?
Of course, it’s possible that those exercise guidelines are just fine. 150 minutes of moderate cardo exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise per week probably is enough to maintain decent cardiovascular health–if you’re not overweight and don’t have other weight-related risk factors for heart disease. Maybe the reason more and more of us become overweight or obese every year is that we manage to eat more than we should even though we’re doing “enough” exercise.
But I have to wonder how helpful those guidelines are for people who are overweight, or for those of us who have trouble maintaining our weight loss because we have a tendency to gain weight easily. And if that’s 67% of us, what sense does it make to promote those government guidelines at all?
There’s yet another study which says that it may take as much as 3 to 4 hours of physical activity per day to maintain a normal weight. Not all of it has to be “exercise,” but it does have to be more demanding than sitting in a chair and poking at a keyboard.
I wonder how many people look at all this confusing and seemingly contradictory information, and just give up on trying to figure out how to lose weight. Or end up picking one of the dozens of fad diets or gimmicks that come out every year, because they really don’t know what else to do?
Sometimes, too much information can be worse than not enough, leading to what’s been called the “paralysis of analysis.” You spend so much time trying to figure out what to do, you end up not doing much at all.
As a health educator, I also wonder a lot what really works best. Are people more likely to be successful in the long run if they know from the very beginning what they may really have to do to accomplish their goals, or will that just scare them off? Is it better to “sugar-coat” things a little bit so that people will at least get started? Many people will get significant health and fitness benefits if they only lose 10% of their weight, and never make it to the goal weight they’d really like to achieve. Maybe they’ll be happy with that, and maybe they won’t.
So, you can see the dilemma. Do I tell you that the government recommends 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise, 5 days per week, or that it might take as much as 3-4 hours of additional physical activity per day for you to lose the weight you want and keep it off? Or do I tell you both and hope it doesn't leave you scratching your head or make you so frustrated that you don't do anything?
How do you handle conflicting and confusing information like this? Do you:
 You will earn 3 SparkPoints |
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Comments
Now I'm not saying I don't think that eating and physical exercise go hand and hand, but I don't believe you need an additional 3-4 hours of activity on top of the 30 minutes a day 5-6 x's a week. I work out 6x's a week for a little over 30 minutes each day and I have seen tremendous results. However, what works for one person, may not work for another.
I say give me the cold hard facts and then let me experiment and see if it works for me. Obviously I believe all the hype about certain foods we should not eat because I have seen first hand what it does to people, but then again what about those people like my grandparents who ate eggs every day and their cholesterol didn't go through the roof? - 6/1/2010 8:38:42 AM
Of course all this is worthless if one is not honest...and honesty is a function of self-conscienceness.
:) - 1/27/2010 7:34:51 PM
That said: I'll do what's right and/or necessary for ME regardless of what any survey says about percentages because only my health and my issues affect my needs. If I had the room for a treamill I'd consider it because I'm more comfortable exercising in privacy than in front of others. - 1/9/2009 8:19:40 AM
I know working out 5 days a week, 30 minutes a day is unattainable on a consistent basis at this time. But I do run an average of 3 days a week (30 mins) and I have to accept that as good for me. Better than nothing!
I remember when I joined a fitness club over 20 years ago. I would go in and do just 20 mins. of the hour long class and then go sit in the hot tub. I know there were some that just shook their head but since I didn't over do it, I learned to enjoy the workouts, extended my workout times and eventually became a certified aerobic instructor for years. It was worth doing it my way! - 1/3/2009 1:50:41 AM
Well, first off, I consider the source. Who is making the statement? What is their agenda? How will they benefit if I follow their advice?
Second, I'm sorry, but I have a life other than exercising. If I got paid to workout for 4 or 5 hours a day, I might consider it, but right now I'd rather workout for an hour, do some reading, clean the house (OK, I wouldn't rather do this, but I don't see any volunteers), do some crafts, be active in the community, and visit friends.
Third, I listen to my body. I tried getting away with 30 minutes. My body said "nice try, but it's not enough". I went to 45 minutes and my body said "ahhh, I think you've found the sweet spot". I added another 10 minutes and my weight started drop (not rapidly, just a half pound or so per week). Adding another 10 minutes caused problems with fatigue (I had a lot) and sleep (I wouldn't sleep through the night). So my body and my mind decided that 55 minutes or so was the ideal for me. Now I realize that this number will have to change eventually (probably at the first of the year, I'll try an additional 5 to 10 minutes to see what happens).
So, don't sugar coat the information, but do tell me the source.
- 12/22/2008 10:27:13 PM
I don't like my info sugar-coated. I do like it when people link to their sources (like you did in this article). Based on that, I clicked on your sources and found that the article claiming that 65% of people meet the government's minimum guidelines for exercise was based on a telephone survey in which respondents self-reported their amount of exercise (not the most reliable data collection method), and that there was no attempt to correlate the figures on exercise with any figures on nutrition. Which means that it's quite possible that most of the 67% of us who are obese at least THINK we're getting enough exercise (whether or not we actually ARE is a matter for a different study), but could also be eating unhealthfully, leading to weight gain despite the physical activity.
In other words, when I dig deeper into a matter (which is only possible when it's not sugar-coated), sometimes what initially seemed to be conflicting information starts to make sense when it's put into context. - 12/22/2008 5:13:44 AM
The benefit of information is not the rote memorization of absolute truths, but rather a wide range of input that allows us to make intelligent decisions and observations about what information is applicable to each of us.
So keep it coming. I prefer mine black (san sugar). - 12/20/2008 10:08:14 AM
Don't sugar coat anything for me. I'm a big girl (excuse the pun), I can handle it. - 12/19/2008 10:01:09 PM
"Every athlete is an experiment of one" Running coach Jack Daniels
For the most part I don't buy too much into what research shows when it comes to weight loss and exercise. When there are too many rules people take the all-or-nothing approach therefore they don't or won't begin or stick with it.
What works for me may or may not work for you...I say keeping trying until you find what is best for you and then stick with it. When it is no longer working then find another approach. - 12/19/2008 5:30:34 PM
How I want my info: Give it to ME and let ME sort it out. Just don't judge me by my waistline while you're doing it, that's all I ask. - 12/19/2008 2:51:29 PM
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