Exercise not much help to the sedentary obese.

• Position: Cardiometabolics - Brief article

Sedentary behavior is associated with poor cardiovascular health and diabetes in adults with severe obesity, independent of how much exercise they perform, a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine shows.

The findings could be used to design and test programs for adults with severe obesity that emphasize reducing time spent sitting, rather than immediately working toward increased moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity or exercise, such as brisk walking. In the U.S., 15% of adults have severe obesity, placing them at high risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, as well as premature mortality.

"Adults with severe obesity often have difficultly following national guidelines to participate in at least 30 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity for health benefits," says epidemiologist and lead author Wendy C. King. "Our findings suggest that replacing sedentary behavior, like watching television or sitting at the computer, with low-intensity physical activities, such as light housework or going for a casual...