Amish keep slim despite having obesity gene. How do they do it?

William Atkins
Wednesday, 10 September 2008 22:24

Science - Health

These Amish adults, the researchers found out, maintained low obesity levels, despite a diet high in calories, fat, and refined sugar, by exercising.

The researchers found that, on average, Amish adult males average 18,000 steps a day and Amish adult females average 14,000 steps per day. The researchers say that the average American adult walks a few thousand steps a day.

They added, “These findings emphasize the important role of physical activity in public health efforts to combat obesity, particularly in genetically susceptible individuals.”

In the Los Angeles Times article “Lessons from the Amish: We’re not doomed to obesity,” Dr. Rampersaud stated, "A lot of the Amish are farmers and participate in manual activities. Even household chores are intense because they don’t have the conveniences that we have."

She adds, "The studies show that if you have two copies of the gene and you’re incorporating physical activity in your daily life, you’re less likely to become obese. This tells us that we’re not doomed by our genes."

However, she cautions, "Obesity isn’t really determined by genetics alone, but by environmental factors as well.”

The L.A. Times articles concludes, “Rampersaud also cautions against believing that this means people have to exercise six to nine hours a day to keep off the pounds. ‘You are going to have an increased benefit depending on the amount of exercise you get,’ she says. ‘But we need large scale studies in the general population to really figure this out.’”