OBVIOUSLY - Commuters who shun car travel keep slimmer, study concludes

[PhilDawson8270]

I'd like to know the average salary these "study" operatives are earning for producing such revelations.

Money for old rope.

The Dr. named, may actually only be the corresponding author for the paper. It's entirely possible that it is part of a PhD thesis, so the salary will be not much, in fact, less than stacking shelves.

The report could also be written based upon an excerpt of a much larger study, or just 1 study of a group of simultaneous studies. Unfortunately, the media don't like to link to the actual sources when they publish their story.

 

[Milkfloat]

The Dr. named, may actually only be the corresponding author for the paper. It's entirely possible that it is part of a PhD thesis, so the salary will be not much, in fact, less than stacking shelves.

In this case I would rather have baked beans on the shelf in Tesco.

 

[KneesUp]

Has anyone read the report? (I haven't, by the way)

I would imagine it's not as simple as is being suggested here - that cycling/walking burns more calories than driving, ergo it stands to reason that people who cycle/walk are slimmer.

There will be other factors, for example:

• I would imagine that, on average, those who commute other than by car are younger
• People who are more active generally are also more likely to commute other than by car
• People in manual jobs are more likely to commute by means other than by car (at least that was true when I worked in a warehouse)
• People with generally 'unhealthy' lifestyles are less likely to commute by means other than a car

So being slimmer might not be the effect of commuting by foot/bike, but commuting by foot/bike might be a more likely outcome for people who are more inclined to physical activity generally.

 

[martint235]

Years ago I remember hearing the conclusions from a study about the problem of stray dogs chasing sheep. There were 3 main conclusions:1. dogs tend to gather in packs, 2. dogs will chase animals that run away from them, 3. sheep run from dogs. I gather the same research team is still getting funding.

But it obviously still needs research:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-35819476

 

[PhilDawson8270]

In this case I would rather have baked beans on the shelf in Tesco.

Because shelf stacking is so much more aspirational than becoming a Dr?

 

[summerdays]

It's typical trivial reporting of what is almost certainly careful and important research. Some of us on here took part in a Kings College study of older (55+) long-distance cyclists, which did get reported later as "taking exercise helps you live a longer healthier life" and got the same responses as here. However, the study was looking at all sorts of less eye-catching parameters like fast-twitch vs slow-twitch muscle fibres (that punch biopsy really hurt!), cardiovascular fitness, endurance, mental agility, etc etc, most of which were never mentioned in the media.

Research isn't usually about discovering one earth-shattering fact. It's about accumulating loads of tiny bits of data that can be verified and which add up to a portfolio of useful conclusions. Media headline-picking must be very frustrating for those people conducting the research, but it's normal unfortunately.

Do you know what conclusions they came to about the fast-twitch vs slow-twitch muscles? I assume long distance cycling would encourage slow-twitch?

 

[Scoosh]

Do you know what conclusions they came to about the fast-twitch vs slow-twitch muscles? I assume long distance cycling would encourage slow-twitch?

Well, Yeah - 'cos if it were fast twitch, your cadence would be way too high ...

 

[Milkfloat]

Because shelf stacking is so much more aspirational than becoming a Dr?

Not at all, but baked beans on a shelf will benefit me more than this story.

 

[Markymark]

In other news, the Pope is a Catholic, bears defecate in the woods and Sting is an arsewipe.

 

[awomaninsane]

My scientific observations are:
1. I keep slim and drive to work every day
2. I see fat people on the bus.
Not sure they've been asking the questions in the right places.

 

[Cubist]

Before you poo-poo this as blindingly obvious, research is just that, a study based on evidence. It's all very well laughing at the no brainier hypothesis, or hypotheses, but research rules out coincidence in a search for correlation and cause. Otherwise we have a hypothesis that cows eat only green things, based solely on the coincidence that grass is green.

As an example, the study may have shown that cyclists are fitter and slimmer because they are of higher average intelligence and therefore take more care of themselves, and the cycling is a by-product of that lifestyle mchoice, not the cause. Or you could make up and insert your own semi-spurious coincidence at this point.

What's more, research around health statistics may have more important downstream ramifications. For example, if it is proven beyond doubt that cyclists in general are fitter and slimmer, then someone may look at the savings in healthcare per cyclist, then how to manage or maximise that saving by increasing cycling infrastructure or (God help us) driver education. If the correlation is only weak or coincidental, then it's harder to argue that encouraging more people to cycle would be beneficial, and if you are commissioning a multi-million pound highways budget then you're going to need more than "bleedin'obvious innit" as your mainstay argument.

 

[Drago]

Someone wasted time and effort on establishing that which everyone already knew?

 

[Stephen C]

Even when they factored in differences such as leisure-time, exercise, diet and occupation, the trend between commute method and bodyweight remained.

There is also this interesting phrase in the article, which implies that if someone who drives undertakes the same amount of exercise as a cycle/walking commuter, they will weigh less.

Or do they not count cycle commuting as "exercise", and I've interpreted that wrongly?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Next: Losing weight by eating less, study concludes.

Define less?

 

[Markymark]

Define less?