Walk a Mile to Ward Off Diabetes

Walking more not only wards off weight gain in middle age but also helps prevent or delay diabetes, a population-based study affirmed. Middle-age people who increased their daily step count over five years maintained significantly higher insulin sensitivity at the end of that period than those who didn’t boost their steps. This effect appeared largely due to lower adiposity, though independent of calories consumed, the group reported If causal, sedentary individuals who change their habits to walk an extra 2,000 steps (about one mile) a day might expect to shave 0.16 kg/m2 off their body mass index and boost insulin sensitivity by 2.76 units, the researchers estimated. A relatively inactive person who gets to the goal of 10,000 steps (about five miles) per day could expect their BMI to drop 0.83 kg/m2 and their insulin sensitivity to rise 13.85 units — a 12.8% increase from the mean for men and 11.5% for women. Thus, sedentary individuals who reach 10,000 steps (about five miles) per day might expect a three-fold improvement in HOMA insulin sensitivity compared with increasing steps to a recent recommendation of 3,000 steps five days a week, the investigators projected. Dwyer T, et al “Association of change in daily step count over five years with insulin sensitivity and adiposity: population based cohort study” BMJ 2010; 341: c7249.