A Harvard University research observed that American’s ancestors from 200 years ago were more active than today. The study found that an average of Americans opt to remain physically active for 20 minutes than people in 1820.
How researchers conducted the study
Counting the various ways a person can stay fit such as riding a bike to work, going to the gym, and staying healthy, the researchers arrived at a definitive conclusion. For years, Americans’ body temperature had been falling. They came to this conclusion by viewing the changes in the metabolism rates of active Americans.
The study compares a person who gets around a moderate to vigorous physical activity for 27 years to the total number of calories that the body of today American burns while resting, which has declined by 6%. With the growth of technology, the researchers indicate a rise of such a sedentary lifestyle.
In a media release, Andrew K. Yegian, the lead author and a member of the Human and Evolutionary Biology Department, reported that the physical activity carried out by Americans is by technology. He highlighted that the researchers would hope to find means that assist Americans with the long-term alterations influenced by today’s developing technology and lifestyle.
Unlike other studies, the researchers calculated the fewer minutes of exercise people receive, thus separating it from the findings of the other studies on health and technology.
A study from Stanford University inspired the researchers
A study from Stanford University highlighted that the average body temperature of 35,000 British people has declined to 97.5 degrees. The researchers concluded that the decrease in average temperature could be due to a fluctuation in body temperature throughout the day or a reduced incidence of inflammation.
The Harvard team speculated that physical and reducing body temperature could be due to human metabolism changes. The team also utilized findings from other studies that estimated how much exercise Americans get today compared to those in 1820.
Dr. Daniel Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist, stated that if we understood the factors influencing Americans, over the last generations, to be less physically active. We might also assess the increased rate of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease, among others.
