Tag: Fitness

Fitbit – Gimmick or Useful Fitness Tool

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Like many Americans I received a Fitbit for Christmas – more specifically the Fitbit Charge HR.

My initial reaction was that the wearable was an expensive digital pedometer with a number of features that I wouldn’t use. That initial assessment was correct; however, two months later, I’m still using it and see value in a few of the features.

For me the most important take-aways were:
• I needed to get more sleep.
• I overestimated my level of activity at times.
• At times I was more active than I realized.
• Instead of guess, the Fitbit was a tool that recorded by activity.

The Fitbit had features that I didn’t like or didn’t use, as follows:
• At times the counter for the number of stairs climbed was inaccurate.
• The virtual badges motivate some people, but they don’t motivate me.
• As a competitive athlete, I am interested in competing against myself. At this time I don’t feel the need to compete against others. I didn’t find the challenge feature to be valuable.
• The software provides options to input food and water consumption. This is a reasonable option; however, it is also one that seems to be too time consuming.

After several weeks of using the Fitbit, the following counters met my needs:
• Steps taken
• Active minutes of exercise
• Calories burned
• Amount of sleep
The software seemed to do a reasonable job of accurately tracking my level of activity in these areas.

Initially I thought the step counter and the measurement of active minutes would be the most valuable features. After about six weeks I realized they were one-dimensional measures of activity.

Like any step counter, a step is a step. The Fitbit did not discriminate whether I was running, walking, riding my stationary bike, or playing tennis. (And I couldn’t wear my Fitbit playing volleyball).

Likewise the active minutes feature measured a 30-minute walk through the candy and pastry aisles at King Soopers the same as 30 minutes of intense play on the tennis court.Fitbit

For my current purposes, the most valuable feature measures the number of calories burned. The feature is useful because it seems to indirectly account for the time and intensity of the activity I participated in.

This feature helped me identify the level of calories I had to burn each day to maintain a desired level of weight. With that goal in mind, it became easy to identify activities that would burn the required number of calories.

The most important Fitbit feature tracks the daily amount of time a person sleeps each night. The device showed me that I’m grossly shortchanging myself in this critical area.

The software tracks the amount of sleep, the amount of restless sleep, and the amount of times a person was not sleeping (to let the dogs out in the middle of the night or to do other things).

In my case, it was necessary for me to experiment with the Fitbit and customize it to my needs. Most likely the same will hold true for others.

The Fitbit provides basic fitness data in a simple, easy to understand manner. By doing so, many Fitbit users can use it to achieve a higher level of fitness.

The Colorado Paradox – The State High in Fitness and Drug Use

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In March, 2013 Gallup pollsters released research showing that Colorado has the nation’s lowest obesity rate; 18.7% of adults are obese. This percentage on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index was the only state to register below 20%. The second place state, Massachusetts, was almost 22%.

But the good news ends there.

The 2012 Statistical Abstract (table 204) reports that Colorado is also one of the most highly ranked states for use of select drugs (A ranking of 1 is worst and 51 is best – Washington, D.C. included) :

  • 25th cigarette smoking – 1,007,000 people, or 25.1% of the Colorado population, ages 12+.
  • 9th for binge drinking – 1,072,000 people, or 26.7% of the Colorado population, ages 12+.
  • 5th for any illicit drug use – 470,000 people, or 11.7% of the Colorado population, ages 12+.
  • 4th for marijuana use – 370,000 people, or 9.2% of the Colorado population, ages 12+.
  • 4th for any illicit drug use, other than marijuana – 183,000 people, or 4.6% of the Colorado population, ages 12+.

In each of these five categories, the percentage of Coloradans partaking in these vices is greater than the U.S. percentage.  Colorado’s Rocky Mountain high is truly a unique paradox.

This data is for the period 2007 to 2008, i.e. it is prior to the passage of Amendment 64.

 

Colorado Obesity Rate Increases – Again

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Obesity is a serious issue – both from a cost and health perspective – and it can be addressed, in part, by diet and exercise.

Lately the topic has received a lot of air time, particularly in regards to the obesity rate of Coloradans. On March 22, The Denver Business Journal reported, “Health Report Card: Colorado’s Still the Leanest State, but More of us are Obese.”

It is the final six words of that sentence that are the most important.  Thank goodness, the media is looking past the meaningless rankings. They are finally emphasizing the important part of the story.
The article indicated that 22% of Colorado’s population is obese, according to the 2011 Colorado Health Report Card recently released by the Colorado Health Foundation (CHF). In 1995 that level of obesity would have ranked Colorado as the most obese state in the U.S.
Kind of scary how all those French fries pack on the pounds over time. Rather frightening to think about how obesity rates have rising in other states.

The state health care report card includes more than just a discussion of obesity. Additional information can be found by viewing the report card or visiting the CHF website.

 

 

Boulder – Fittest or Fattest Take II

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Obesity and being overweight are serious problems, particularly among young kids. Fitness and diet are ways to partially address the challenge.

The Boulder Daily Camera (Around the County – Local section, March 8, 2012) reported that Boulder was the thinnest city in the country. The poll by Gallup-Healthways reported that Boulder had an obesity rate of 12.1%. The city with the highest rate of obesity was McAllen, Texas – they rolled in at 38.8%. West Virginia led all states with a rate of 34%.

The article stated that this study polled 350,000 Americans in metropolitan areas during 2011. Participants were asked to give their height and weight, which was then used to estimate a body mass index. BMI’s greater than 30 were considered obese. The national average was 26.1%. Colorado was the least obese state with a 20% obesity rate.

If you recall, on February 19th, the Boulder Daily Camera reported that a survey of city employees showed that 57% of the City of Boulder workforce was overweight. The report went on to say that 19% of men and 16% of women were obese.

About a year ago, USA Today reported that the Society of Actuaries had determined that the economic cost of people being overweight and obese to the U.S. and Canada was about $300 billion in 2009. Costs were about $72 billion for overweight and $198 billion for obesity. According to SOA, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight, with anything 30 or higher being obese.

The article stated, “The $300 billion total cost in the United States and Canada is the result of: increased need for medical care ($127 billion); loss of worker productivity due to higher rates of death ($49 billion); loss of productivity due to disability of active workers ($43 billion); and loss of productivity due to total disability ($72 billion)”.

The point of mentioning the above articles is to encourage increased awareness about obesity AND being overweight in hopes that the level of both can be reduced. Focusing strictly on obesity does not fully address the challenges in this area.

 

Boulder – Fittest or Fattest?

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On June 29, 2010, The Denver Business Journal reported that Colorado had the lowest rate of adult obesity of any state in the nation (“F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010”). Colorado’s adult obesity rate was 19.1% and 38 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia had obesity rates over 25%.

America’s top 20 healthiest cities were listed in the September 13, 2001 issue of Forbes. Denver was ranked fifth because 61% of residents were in excellent or good physical health, cardiovascular disease rates were lower than average and residents were less likely to be obese, diabetic, have asthma, or die of heart disease. The study was conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine.

In February 2011 four of Colorado’s major cities placed in TIME‘s Top 15 Fittest Cities of the United States list. Boulder was at the top of the list as the fittest city in the United States, followed by Arvada (6th), Denver (11th) and Aurora (15th).

As part of its economic development strategy the City of Boulder has included natural products and the outdoor recreation industry as part of its lifestyle clusters to support.

Colorado and Boulder are arguably a Mecca for health and fitness, along with Salt Lake, Austin, and Portland.

With this backdrop, it came as a surprise to read the headlines of the Sunday February 19, 2012 Boulder Daily Camera, “Survey: Weight a Staff Issue.” The article discussed a survey of city employees that showed 57% of the City of Boulder workforce was overweight.

Key findings from the report (published in the Camera) follow:
• 57% are over their recommended weight.
• 47% have low fitness levels.
• 43% have high cholesterol.
• 41% are at a high risk of cancer.
• 40% are at high risk of heart disease.
• 32% have poor nutritional intake.
• 26% have high blood-sugar levels.
• 19% of men were obese.
• 16% of women were obese.
• 13% reported having high stress levels.
• 10% drank alcohol excessively.
• 9% have high blood pressure.
• 5% are smokers.
Most likely some of these factors are understated because it can be difficult to get people to admit to their vices, particularly in surveys conducted for or by their employers.

On a positive note, 61% of the city’s workforce is rated as having good health ((BMI scores, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar.)

The article stated that the city’s Wellness Works program has been offered to about 1,200 employees at a cost of $144 per employee, plus incentives given to the employees for achieving certain goals. This is a significant cost to taxpayers (at least $175,000 per year); however, it is reportedly offset by lower insurance premiums and increased productivity.

This seems to be a reasonable and well-thought out investment.

City officials also indicated that previous reports were used for targeting areas where the collective group of employees needed assistance.

Another well-thought out strategy.

The article dealt with a sensitive issue and the reporter covered it in a positive manner; however, the topic deserves additional consideration.
• If the city employees are representative of the health of the healthiest city in the U.S., what does that say about the health and fitness of the U.S.?
• How valuable are the rankings and polls that ranked Boulder as the fittest in the U.S.? Are their broad criteria for developing health and fitness rankings so general that the results are virtually useless? Does it really matter if Boulder is more fit than Montgomery, Alabama?
• How many other employers in Boulder are proactive in addressing the health and fitness of their employees? How do the health and fitness of their workers compare to the city employees?
• Is it appropriate to provide incentives for wellness or should that be part of the employee’s performance reviews?

There is a lot to consider.

Having said that, the article quoted a city spokesperson as saying, “Now that we know that, we are actually encouraging supervisors that if they’re going to have food at meetings…they’re trying to have healthier options.”

Hopefully the spokesperson was misquoted or quoted out of context.

Mandating carrot sticks, broccoli spears, or bagels without cream cheese at meetings will not improve the health of the city of Boulder workers.

Health and fitness are lifestyle decisions. Effective employer health and fitness programs will do more than lower insurance programs, they will alter the way people live their lives at home and work.