The energy expenditure of using a "walk-and-work'' desk for office workers with obesity

Objective: For many people, most of the working day is spent sitting in front of a computer screen. Approaches for obesity treatment and prevention are being sought to increase workplace physical activity because low levels of physical activity are associated with obesity. Our hypothesis was that a vertical workstation that allows an obese individual to work while walking would be associated with significant and substantial increases in energy expenditure over seated work. Methods: The vertical workstation is a workstation that allows an office worker to use a standard personal computer while walking on a treadmill at a self-selected velocity. 15 sedentary individuals with obesity ( 14 women, one man; 43 ( 7.5) years, 86 ( 9.6) kg; body mass index 32 ( 2.6) kg/ m(2)) underwent measurements of energy expenditure at rest, seated working in an office chair, standing and while walking at a self-selected speed using the vertical workstation. Body composition was measured using dual x ray absorptiometry. Results: The mean ( SD) energy expenditure while seated at work in an office chair was 72 ( 10) kcal/ h, whereas the energy expenditure while walking and working at a self-selected velocity of 1.1 ( 0.4) mph was 191 ( 29) kcal/ h. The mean ( SD) increase in energy expenditure for walking-and-working over sitting was 119 ( 25) kcal/ h. Conclusions: If sitting computer-time were replaced by walking-and-working, energy expenditure could increase by 100 kcal/ h. Thus, if obese individuals were to replace time spent sitting at the computer with walking computer time by 2-3 h/ day, and if other components of energy balance were constant, a weight loss of 20-30 kg/ year could occur.