We all know that weight gain results from consuming more calories than you burn off through physical activity, but too often people focus is on the “calories in” part of that equation.  Today, we’d like to share with you an article in The New York Times that looks at the “calories out” part as it relates to the workplace environment and its impact on obesity.

The article by Tara Parker-Pope looks at research published just yesterday in the journal PLoS One.  The authors of the study looked at shifts in the labor force over the last 50 years and concluded that “a sizable portion of the national weight gain can be explained by declining physical activity during the workday.”  There’s no doubt that, as technology has advanced over the years, many of us lead much more sedentary jobs – not just in the manufacturing sector but even in office positions as we sit at computers for a large part of the day.

We hope you find this article as interesting as we do.  We also hope that it reminds you about the importance of getting up and moving throughout the day – take the stairs instead of the elevator, take a brisk walk at lunch, walk to a colleague’s office rather than sending an e-mail.  All of these efforts add up in the long run to help balance out your calories and maintain a healthy weight.