Complications ostéo-articulaires

Overweight increases the pressure on weight-bearing joints.

Muscle mass also plays a role. In fact, muscles, through the support they provide, protect joints. This protection is even more effective than muscle mass is developed, hence the importance of physical activity.

In the case of obesity, all joints are suffering and some of them specifically. Osteoarthritis of the knee is 3 times more common in the obese. But the risk is 2 times lower in men than in women. The risk of herniation is increased in humans, even if modest overweight.

Similarly, the spine, which supports all the high parts of the body, may be distorted because of obesity. These are the source of back pain, and complications more important.

Obesity appears to reduce female bone loss in postmenopausal women and increases bone mineral density. This protection also applies to men.

The body burns calories even when sleeping

The body must continually generate energy to maintain its vital functions (breathing, heart beat ...), to maintain constant temperature, to digest food ...
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Thus, at any time of day or night, our body expends energy more or less quantity. It is, of course, during the phase of sleep energy expenditure is lowest.

Calorie / hour

While sleeping 60 kcal

Sitting in the office 100kcal

Playing piano 130 kcal

Walking normally 180 kcal

Working on a building site 240 kcal

Playing tennis 425 kcal

Sprinting 1400 kcal

Calories The human body has to find its food substances to be burned to provide energy. These are carbohydrates and lipids, real fuel of the body. The food proteins are not used for energy. They operate more as agents of construction of cellular structures.

Breast cancer, overweight: opt for walking!

Sport is good for health! For several years, we know the benefits of exercise. According to two recent studies, half an hour of walking per day would be enough women to reduce their risk of breast cancer.



Chosen in 2001 as the theme for World Health Day, the fight against physical inactivity is associated with many beneficial effects. But faced with overweight and breast cancer, women should they prefer a regular or intensive physical effort? The response by two recent U.S. studies.

A beneficial effect has long been known

Breast Cancer - Obesity is long known that exercise can reduce the risk of cancer sein1, 2. Since 2002, the recommendations of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 3 and the American Society of cancer4 advocate and women to practice regular physical activity. But the intensity and the amount recommended previously remained unknown. Should it be practiced throughout life or simply limited to the period after menopause? So many questions that aims to address a broad survey of American Scientist.

Faced with breast cancer, prefer the term to the intensity!

By studying 74,171 women aged 50-79 years, 1780 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed during follow-up period of almost 5 years.5. By eliminating other variables that may influence the occurrence of such disease (body mass index, hormone replacement therapy, smoking, hysterectomy, etc..), Researchers have determined that:

* Compared with women more sedentary, moderate physical activity at least three times a week at the age of 35 years reduced by 14% the risk of breast cancer. If these habits have started 18 or 55 years, reducing the risk is less;
* An activity equivalent to one fifteen weekly walking reduced by 18% the risk of breast cancer. But it seems unnecessary to run out the effort. Indeed, women practicing sports 10 hours a week would reduce their risk by 22%;
* The positive impact is more pronounced among women whose BMI is below 24.1, but also noticeable with a BMI between 24.1 and 28.4. To see which category you are, use our online test.

These results thus suggest that the duration of exercise intensity than their influence on reducing the risk of breast cancer. No reason then to engage in endless jogging or strenuous aerobics ... The effect is greater if these good intentions are taken from the age of 35 years.

The battle against overweight is played on the duration

Another study published in the same journal the Journal of the American Medical Association calls for a little sport. It has been known for many years that the fight against inactivity reduces the surpoids6 cons. But even there, how long and what intensity are most beneficial? To find out, the team of John Jakicic has distributed 201 overweight women aged 21-45 years in four groups, each playing on two parameters: the duration and intensity of exercise (moderate or severe).

Sedentary lifestyle: do not wait to get out

Physical inactivity in a country with strong technological development like ours, is characterized by the progressive reduction of physical effort in most of our daily actions: professional or domestic travel, or recreation. To summarize, we walk less, it is less and less physical effort.



Sedentary unknowingly

The danger to your inactivity = heart is the absence of regular physical activity that characterizes inactivity. A worker in the tertiary sector who parks his car near his office and recreation grants include only the peaceful activities of gardening, DIY or fishing is a sedentary, even if it is 8 or 15 ski days per year or 3-4 weeks of hiking in the summer.

A real danger for your heart

Inactivity weakens your heart. Here's why:

* Without training, the heart muscle loses its power of contraction;
* It receives and sends less blood in the body;
* It provides less oxygen to the muscles and organs;
* It recovers less quickly in case of heart attack.

A sedentary lifestyle is more dangerous for the heart when combined with other risk factors:

* Tobacco;

* Hypertension

* Obesity

* Overeating.

A real benefit: exercise

Improved blood circulation:

Regular exercise dilate the arteries, including coronary arteries, nourishing the heart and allows better irrigation. It protects against obstructions (thrombosis) due to fats and sugars in excess in the blood. It would lower the blood pressure positively.

Heart strongest

* A heart, the more muscular he regularly works at a steady pace, contracts more powerfully, its cavities are filled well, the blood is ejected more. The exercise gives the heart a power reserve.

The heart works better when it is used.

Burn your calories!

While it is important to know what you eat, it must be able to evaluate what you spend! But several methods used to estimate the calories we burn more or less reliable, they are essential to understand your needs and assess the number of extra calories.



Burn your calories! Above all, we must know that our weight is a balance between inflows and outflows of energy: if we eat more calories than we spend, we grow, and vice versa.

What does the energy bill?

But what do we mean by energy costs? They are composed of three factors:

* The resting energy expenditure (also called the basal metabolic rate). This is the minimum expenditure necessary for our body to operate bodies at rest. It corresponds to two thirds of energy expenditure for 24 h.

* The thermal effect of food. It is the energy required for food processing (to make the muscle for example). This corresponds to 10% of total expenditure to 24 h.

* Expenses related to physical activity. It represents a small percentage, but it varies widely from one individual to another.

Unequal meet expenses

Several factors explain the variations in energy expenditure between individuals:

* Weight: the more we weigh heavier, our body uses energy. It's almost a good news if you have a lot of overweight: you burn more calories by doing a physical activity!
* Age: the older one gets, the less calories burned.

* Gender: a man spends far more calories than a woman, even if they weigh the same.

* The size.

How to evaluate this expense?

To evaluate the energy consumed, it can make measurements in vivo, but they are quite stringent. For example, to measure the basal metabolic rate, you can put the person under a bell and measuring gas exchange: oxygen consumed is directly related to calories burned.

To spend without thinking ... it's possible!

We do not move enough! Yes, more than two thirds of French people are sedentary ... However, everyone can resume physical activity in everyday life! This is one goal of Dr. Jean-Michel Borys, endocrinologist and coordinator of the campaign "Together Let's Prevent Childhood Obesity" launched in several cities of France. It reveals the keys to spend ... gently!

Lack of physical activity is to blame for the rise of overweight and obesity?

Dr Borys: First of all, we must distinguish two different things: physical activity and inactivity. It can be sporty and sedentary! This is also a trend increasingly strong in our society. Take the example of the framework that will do two hours of tennis or swimming a week and next to it does absolutely not budge! Conversely, there may be someone who does not sport, but is continually being run right or left!

With regard to overweight and obesity, the problem is actually that of inactivity: two thirds of French people are sedentary, that is to say that are less than the equivalent of a half-hour of brisk walking per day. It is interesting that the ratio was reversed between rural and urban. Previously, live in the country was inseparable from a lifestyle based on physical work, in contrast to city life. Today, the urban move constantly to take public transport or shopping. While on the campaign, you take the car for the slightest movement.

How to explain this increase in physical inactivity?

Dr. Borys: We use a marker that can determine the level of sedentary people: the number of hours spent watching TV (or in front of a screen in general). But this is not the only factor. There are many changes in our lifestyle: car elevator, automatic doors ... And the general evolution of our company is also involved. When we see mothers who continue to put their four year old child in a stroller, it is often because she had no time to take the time to walk with him at his own pace!

So should we throw his TV?

Dr. Borys: Do not demonize the TV. This media is very interesting. The problem is the natural tendency to watch passively. There are also programs in the United States to help young people watch TV so Intelligent lighting for watching a program judged interesting, then cut right after. The goal is not to be hypnotized for hours and watch a mechanical television.

Forward march!

At least a half hour of brisk walking per day! This is the message Health launched by the government in February 2004. For this simple activity can prevent many diseases and maintain their health. But in practice, how? Some tracks ...



After feeding, the National Health and Nutrition Program has decided to tackle the lack of physical activity!

The movement is healthy!

If eating well is important, we must move as well! Because physical activity is essential for maintaining good health! Attention is not to be an athlete, but simply to avoid being too sedentary. Many studies have shown, having an physical activity protects against many diseases: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes type 2. In addition, inactivity promotes weight gain and the emergence of problems such as osteoporosis.

30 minutes of brisk walking at least

Sedentary still walking, over one third of French people do not move enough. This is particularly true for women and more than 45 years. But what is the minimum level of physical activity have to protect his health? At least the equivalent of 30 minutes of brisk walking per day, depending on PNNS. But it is about increasing physical activity "and daily natural" and not get to practice a sport intensively! So at home, at work, in transport and everything is at stake. If you want to know if you move enough, you can do our test.

It's natural!

In its campaign to promote physical activity, the government is telling a parallel: while walking, jumping, running is second nature for children, it disappears in adults to the car, TV, elevator ... It is therefore essential to find the joy of movement.