HHS HealthBeat (April 26, 2010)

An hour a day

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

For some women, an hour a day may keep the pounds at bay. Researchers who looked at what happened to middle-aged women say those who kept themselves at a healthy weight averaged about 60 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking.

I-Min Lee of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied 13 years of data on body mass index, or BMI, in 34,000 women, starting at an average age of 54.

"Physical activity was effective in controlling weight only among women who started off with a normal BMI."  (7 seconds)

So Lee says women who started off heavier may need to control what they eat, as well as being active.

The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: November 21, 2011