Life-Changing
improvements
just six weeks after behavior change
Newswise — Basic changes in diet and
exercise can lead to a dramatic drop in a person’s risk for chronic
illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease in as little as
six weeks, according to a study by Brigham Young University
professor of exercise science Steven Aldana.
“This is not a diet, not a trend,
not a fad that will go away,” said Aldana. “It’s adopting a
nutritious way of eating and exercise that causes very important
positive changes in your body’s health in a short period of time.”
To be published Feb. 28 in the
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the study also
explains that participants experienced significant reductions in
body fat, cholesterol levels and blood pressure as they adopted a
diet emphasizing unrefined “food-as-grown,” like grains, legumes and
fresh fruits and vegetables and implemented a 30-minute-a-day
cardiovascular exercise program.
“Although the notion that proper
nutrition and exercise is good for you is not revolutionary, it’s
important that people know that major health benefits can come
quickly,” says Aldana, the author of a new book, “The Culprit and
the Cure,” that reiterates that there’s no magic solution to the
health problems in today’s world. “Best of all, by making similar
changes you can enjoy similar benefits.”
Tim Butler, a health management
analyst for Intermountain Health Care’s Health Plans division, says
that the study’s encouraging findings may motivate people to take
more control over their lifestyles.
“This research demonstrates that
there is a tremendous gap between what we know and understand about
human health, and what we do,” said Butler. “When we make a personal
decision to change our habits and apply our health knowledge, we
bridge that gap to improve our health.”
The study, co-authored by BYU
health sciences professor Ray Merrill, BYU graduate students and
Illinois healthcare professionals, details the participation of 337
volunteers age 43 to 81 years from the Rockford, Ill., metropolitan
area in a 40-hour educational course over four weeks.
Administered by the
SwedishAmerican Health System, the Coronary Health Improvement
Project lecture series touted the importance of making healthy
lifestyle choices and how to make improvements in nutrition and
physical activity.
But a person doesn’t have to
participate in CHIP specifically to enjoy its rapid benefits to
overall health.
“It really doesn’t matter which
lifestyle change program you go with,” Aldana said, explaining that
the CHIP diet is similar to others designed to reduce hypertension.
“This is about healthy living. Make a decision, get the right
information and tools and involve people to show you how to change,
and then great things can happen.”
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