Shrink Your Workload

Don’t chain yourself to your desk.  In a recent Australian study of 1,579 people, researchers discovered that workers whose jobs require more than 6 hours of chair time a day are up to 68 percent more likely to wind up overweight or obese than those who sit less.  When the scientists analyzed the data by gender, they found that total sitting time was associated with a body-mass index (BMI) of over 25 men, but not in women.  The likely reason: On average, the women sat for 20 minutes less a day than the men, says lead researcher Kerry Mummery, Ph.D. To make sure the Man isn’t keeping you down all day long, use a stopwatch to track your occupational sitting time. Take the average of 3 days’ readings, and then make a conscious effort to cut 20 minutes off that number by handling office communications in person instead of by phone or e-mail, or by going for a walk during your lunch break.

Go Heavy To Get Light

When researchers at the University of Southern Maine used an advanced method to estimate energy expenditure during exercise, they found that weight training burns as many as 71 percent more calories than originally thought.  In fact, the researchers calculated that performing just one circuit of eight exercises can expend up to 231 calories.  The more muscle you work, the more calories you’ll burn, says study author Christopher Scott, Ph.D. Maximize the number of muscle fibers you activate in each set by performing a circuit in which you alternate upper-body muscles work, and vice versa—ensuring your best effort each set.  Complete three full circuits of eight exercises and it’s likely you’ll burn as many calories as you would by jogging for 30 minutes.

Gun Shot

British scientists recently injected overweight people with oxyntomodiolin; a chemical messenger that tells your brain that you’re full— three times a day for a month.  The result: They ate 250 fewer calories each day and lost 5 pounds.  The treatment must undergo more testing before it’s made available.

Stay Lean For Life

French researchers recently found that the secret to a flat belly isn’t how many calories you burn; it’s how often you burn them.  When comparing total calories burned weekly, aerobic fitness level, and average exercise intensity in older men, scientists discovered that those who simply spent the most time moving— regardless of the type of activity—had the leanest midsections.  The magic numbers? Three to 4 days a week, accumulating a total of 4 hours.