Published in:
01-06-2011 | Short Communication
Objective Assessment of Time Spent Being Sedentary in Bariatric Surgery Candidates
Published in: Obesity Surgery | Issue 6/2011
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Background
Bariatric surgery candidates spend very little time in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (≥3 metabolic equivalents [METs]). This study examined (1) how much of their remaining time is spent in sedentary behaviors (SB < 1.5 METs) compared to light-intensity activities (1.5–2.9 METs) and (2) whether sedentary time varies by BMI.
Methods
Daily time (hours, %) spent in SB was examined in 42 surgery candidates (BMI = 49.5 ± 7.9 kg/m2) using the SenseWear Pro2 Armband. Participants were stratified by BMI to assess the relationship between degree of obesity and SB.
Results
Participants wore the armband for 5.4 ± 0.7 days and 13.3 ± 1.7 h/day. On average, 81.4% (10.9 ± 2.1 h/day) of this time was spent in SB. Participants with BMI ≥ 50 spent nearly an hour more per day in SB than those with BMI 35–49.9 (p = 0.01).
Conclusions
Bariatric surgery candidates spend over 80% of their time in SB. Reducing SB may help to increase physical activity in these patients.