Lose weight on the way to work

Larissa Melville completed her traineeship in the editorial team of . After studying biology at Ludwig Maximilians University and the Technical University of Munich, she first got to know digital media online at Focus and then decided to learn medical journalism from scratch.

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MunichMore than 20 million Germans drive to work every day. Switching to public transport or cycling would be worthwhile, because then annoying pounds drop off at the same time.

To prevent obesity and other chronic diseases like diabetes, experts recommend being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day. However, many find it difficult to integrate this into their everyday work. There is a simple and effective solution: the actively designed way to work. Adam Martin from the University of East Angia in Norwich and his colleagues investigated whether this also had a direct positive effect on weight.

Leaving the car behind is worth it

For their study, the researchers used the information from almost 3,300 commuters about their body weight, height and how they made their way to work. The subjects filled out questionnaires three times. In total, almost 180 participants changed the way they got to work: 70 switched from their own car to public transport and 109 came to work on foot or by bike instead of by car.

In fact, the changed way to work had a positive effect on weight: within two years, the body mass index was reduced compared to those who continued to drive to work in their own car. There was a clear effect, especially in the test subjects who switched to bicycles or walked to work. Depending on the length of the commute, the participants lost between two and seven kilograms. But anyone who switched from their own car to public transport also benefited: The additional exercise brought them a weight loss of around one kilo.

Weight gain inevitable

In a second study with almost 800 test persons, the scientists checked whether, conversely, people who switch from an active commute to work to daily drive by car accumulate fat. And that's exactly what the team was able to show. A total of 268 test persons switched to their own car instead of walking or taking the bus and train to work. The lack of movement was already noticeable after two years: the subjects had put on around one kilogram on average.

The trend towards obesity

"We have observed that switching from your own car to public transport or an active commute leads to a reduction in the BMI in a relatively short period of time," the authors write. If more commuters opted for a more active way to work, this could help reduce the societal obesity problem.

Source:

Martin A. et al .: Impact of changes in mode of travel to work on changes in body mass index: evidence from the British Household Panel Survey. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. doi: 10.1136 / jech-2014-205211

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