Pedometers Help Lose Weight

People who participate in a pedometer-based walking program can be expected to lose a modest amount of weight even without changing their diet, with more weight loss the longer they stick with the program, according to a University of Michigan Health System analysis of nine studies.

Participants in the studies increased the distance they walked by one mile to slightly more than two miles each day. At an average pace of three miles per hour, that means the walkers were getting an additional 20 to 40 minutes of activity a day. On average, they lost 0.05 kilograms per week (about 0.11 pounds) for an average total of 1.27 kilograms (2.8 pounds) throughout the duration of the studies.

"The amount of weight loss attributable to pedometer-based walking programs is small but significant," says lead author Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., assistant professor in the U-M Health System Department of Family Medicine. She notes that the analysis

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