Nov 13 2006
How NEAT Are You?
I’m not referring to how often you dust or vacuum.
I’m referring to how often you MOVE or DON’T MOVE.
NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. The NEAT-er you are, the more you tend to move.
According to a study by Dr. James Levine, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist:
“Our patients have told us for years that they have low metabolism, and as caregivers, we have never quite understood what that means — until today.”
“The answer is they have low NEAT, which means they have a biological need to sit more. A person can expend calories either by going to the gym, or through everyday activities. Our study shows that the calories that people burn in their everyday activities — their NEAT — are far, far more important in obesity than we previously imagined.”
He adds that the NEAT defect in obese patients doesn’t reflect a lack of motivation.
“It most likely reflects a brain chemical difference because our study shows that even when obese people lose weight they remain seated the same number of minutes per day. They don’t stand or walk more.”
“Conversely, when lean people artificially gain weight, they don’t sit more. So the NEAT appears to be fixed. But as physicians, we can use this data to help our obese patients overcome low NEAT by guiding the treatment of obesity toward a focus on energy as well as food. We can encourage NEAT-seeking behaviors.”
Luckily, I am relatively NEAT. My job has me sitting most of the time and I have to move around throughout the day. In fact, I try to fit in exercise whenever I can by taking the stairs and walking to places if possible. I’m thankful that I don’t have to force myself to move.
“Some folks do a lot more puttering, pacing and standing than others. Animal studies suggest some may be “hard-wired” to be more active than others,” Levine says.
Levine believes this may apply to people too. Some seem to be programmed to do more standing, walking and cleaning while others aren’t hard-wired to move much at all.
So how NEAT are you?