Research

Energy balance

Obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) walk significantly fewer steps per day than normal-weight individuals, contributing to a higher risk of weight gain.

If you are obese, you likely walk about 2,000 fewer steps per day than a normal-weight person. This deficit contributes to weight gain. Starting with a goal of adding 2,000 steps to your current routine can help close this gap and prevent further weight gain.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg·m⁻²) walked about 2000 fewer steps per day than normal-weight individuals.
Holly R. Wyatt et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2005

Why this rating

Large sample size (N=730 with step data), statewide representative sampling, objective measurement via pedometers.

Source

A Colorado Statewide Survey of Walking and Its Relation to Excessive Weight

Holly R. Wyatt et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2005

DOI 10.1249/01.mss.0000161750.84096.d4

cross_sectional · n=1098Cited 139×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →