Shed Your Spare Tire

The solution to America’s weight problem starts behind the wheel, according to a new University of Illinois study.

As our miles behind the wheel have increased, so have  our waistlines, according to the study. When drivers drove an extra mile a day, our obesity rate increased by 2 percent over the course of six years. 

“Each minute that we spend in a car is probably the most deadly minute that we can spend in a day—in terms of activity,” says Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., professor of computer science at the University of Illinois, and author of the study. “We’re not using any energy.”

Not that sitting in a desk chair is good for you, but at least you can stand up and move around at the office—aerobic driving is not really a safe option, Jacobson says. Add in a few trips to the drive-thru, and presto, we’re fat.

Then, there’s the issue of road rage. “There is a significant relationship between stress and weight gain,” says psychologist and physical therapist Elizabeth R. Lombardo, Ph.D., M.S., P.T., author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. “And we all know how stressful driving can be.”

Of course, time in the car may also leave you  with less time to work out.  

 

But even if we each drive just one less mile per day, about 5 million of us would no longer tip the scales, Jacobson’s analysis shows.

If that’s not realistic, try neutralizing the gut-bomb in your garage with these on-the-road strategies from Lombardo:

-Don’t fall prey to the lure of fast food or soda at the next exit. Eat before you leave, pack your own healthy snacks, and swig water while you drive, which prevents you from mistaking dehydration for hunger.

-Move more when you’re not in the car. Park farther away even when there’s a close parking spot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or take 10-minute walks during pit stops or lunch breaks. (Or try our lunchtime workout.)

-Look for ways to zap on-the-road stress. Get up earlier to beat traffic, pop in a book on CD, or take a more scenic route.

Ah—don’t you feel thinner already?

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