The physical macro environment. Some form of physical activity has been a requirement for survival and day-to-day Irving for most of human history. Famous Swedish exercise physiologist Per-Olaf Aastrand has pointed out that if the whole of human history over 460 million years was regarded as a race of 460 kilometres, only the last 10mm would have been covered by a 100-year-old man living today. The period during which machinery has taken away the need for physical effort has really only been the last 40-50 years, or 2-3mm on the 460km journey of the human race!
As the need for physical activity in day-to-day life has decreased, such activity has become increasingly institutionalised through the development of the modem fitness industry, however, the use of a gym for 30 minutes a couple of times a week probably doesn’t compensate for the decrease in spontaneous physical activity during the rest of the week. The idea of a fitness centre also has limited appeal to many people, particularly those who are excessively fat, and figures show that only 1-2 per cent of the population actually use these facilities on a regular basis.
In schools, the presence or absence of physical education (PE) classes and facilities for physical activity through play can influence the early development of obesity. Where physical education was once compulsory in Australia, this is now often left to the discretion of individual schools. Trials with a compulsory daily PE program in South Australian primary schools in the 1980s showed that this not only decreased body fat and improved measures of health in young children but also aided academic performance. The growth in childhood obesity is now leading to a re-evaluation of the need for PE by education authorities in some parts of the world.
Finally, the increasing urbanisation of the population has, in many cases, led to a decreased opportunity for increased energy expenditure. Where there are facilities such as walking paths, bike tracks, or other recreational facilities, but no street lighting, there are often concerns about personal safety, particularly for women and children. Positive changes to the macro environment to increase daily energy expenditure will need to include provision at the national and local Government level for safe recreational facilities. Indeed, possibly the best way to motivate individuals to increase activity is to present them with easy exercise choices.
If the fitness industry is to participate in fat loss there will also need to be a significant change in its image. New facilities are currently being developed in some countries that de-emphasise the fitness and ‘body beautiful’ aspects of exercise that are de-motivational for so many people, but allow opportunities for safe, regular, low intensity, long duration activities such as treadmill walking, cycling and stair climbing, accompanied by electronic entertainment such as videos, TVs, and stereos.
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