ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at some of the reasons why it is difficult to change from a sedentary lifestyle and what can be done to help. There is nothing new about workplace fitness programs. A. E. Hardman et al. investigated the effects of a program of brisk walking on a group of sedentary middle-aged women. Designing workplaces to encourage employees to eat a healthier diet is compatible with encouraging them to be more active. Human populations have survived on a wide variety of diets and Homo sapiens are a highly adaptable omnivore. Evidence from the remains of bones in caves indicates that Homo erectus survived on a diet that was 70 percent meat. In studies to improve diet and physical activity, A. D. Hutchinson and C. Wilson concluded that most interventions aimed at improving diet and/or exercise yielded small benefits on a range of health measures.
