HHS HealthBeat (February 03, 2009)

Walk Away from the Buffet

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Walking back to the buffet doesn’t count as exercise.

At Washington University in St. Louis, Ross Brownson noted this in survey results from people in small Midwestern towns. People who ate out often, especially at buffets and fast food restaurants, were more likely to be obese. They also were more likely to say their community lacked a supportive environment for physical activity, such as sidewalks for walking programs.

Brownson says buffets and lack of places to exercise can make weight gain easier.  For instance, extra helpings:

[Ross Brownson speaks] ``It doesn’t mean that you should never eat at a buffet, but try not to eat three days’ worth of a meal in one sitting at a buffet dinner.’’

The study in Preventive Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: February, 03 2009