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Healthy People Tend to Eat Healthier Diets--Imagine That

The diet and exercise habits of more than 10,000 people were analyzed in this study. Researchers also analyzed the fitness of subjects' heart and lungs. The idea was to get some basic information on the way diet, exercise, and heart and lung fitness are related.

Subjects were tested on a treadmill to gauge their fitness level. Of the women, 61% were rated as having a high level of fitness, 30% a moderate level, and 9% a low level. Of the men, 59% were in the high level, 31% moderate, and 10% low. (This may very well be a higher level of fitness than in our population as a whole. People who chose to take part in the study tended to be white, well educated, and well off.)

Subjects also answered questions about their lifestyle and health, and they filled out extensive food diaries for three days. Researchers analyzed the food diaries to find the number of calories subjects ate, in addition to the nutritional content of the food and the number of calories from fat, saturated fat, protein, and fiber.

The results show that the highly fit subjects tended to eat according to diet guidelines--lower amounts of fat, little saturated fat, and higher amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Highly fit subjects were also less likely to smoke and had lower amounts of body fat.

This is hardly shocking news. But this study is part of a larger research project comparing relationships between diet, exercise, and fitness. These results are a piece of the puzzle. When they put the puzzle together, researchers hope to have a more complete understanding of the way diet and exercise together affect our health and fitness.

References: Suzanne Brodney, et al. Nutrient Intake of Physically Fit and Unfit Men and Women. In Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. March 2001. Vol. 33. No. 3. Pp. 459-467.

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