A “NEAT” Approach to Obesity Prevention in the Modern Work Environment

Increased prevalence of obesity may be due to an increase of being sedentary at work. Increasing non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) using walking workstations may increase total physical activity and promote a leaner physical body composition (or phenotype). The purpose of this study was to test whether walking slowly during work was sufficient to promote a leaner phenotype by increasing physical activity in sedentary desk workers without inducing compensation or a decrease in activity or energy expenditure during the nonworking hours. We conducted a prospective cohort study using a within-subjects crossover design. The design involved two phases each lasting 2 weeks: a treadmill exercise phase in which subjects used a walking workstation for 2.5 hours a day 5 days/week and a control phase in which subjects maintained their normal work activity. Twenty-five sedentary adults working at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. We measured body weight, body composition, food intake, 24-hour physical activity, and self-reported physical activity with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Treadmill exercise caused a leaner phenotype (lean mass gain and fat mass loss) and significantly increased their 24-hour physical activity. Walking workstation use had favorable effects on physical well-being and mental focus and did not adversely affect productivity. Light treadmill exercise during work can increase physical activity and result in a leaner body composition. This is a potentially useful intervention to increase NEAT in the modern sedentary work environment.