Energy Expenditure and Enjoyment of Active Television Viewing

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(1): 64-76, 2016. This study examined energy expenditure and enjoyment during sedentary television viewing (SED-TV), stepping in place during television commercials (COMM-TV), and physical activity prompted by common character phrases/mannerisms within a television program (PA-TV). Adults (N=38, age: 27.0±8.0 years, BMI: 25.4±4.2 kg/m2) completed three 30-minute sessions in random order: SED-TV, COMM-TV, and PA-TV. Energy expenditure and heart rate were assessed during each session. Enjoyment was assessed after the initial experimental session and at completion of the study. Energy expenditure was greater in the active versus sedentary sessions (COMM-TV vs SED-TV: difference = 32.7±1.9 kcal, p3.0 METS was lower in SED-TV (median = 0 minutes) compared to COMM-TV [median = 4.0 minutes (Inter-Quartile Range: 0.8, 7.3)] (p50% of age-predicted maximal heart rate. Both COMM-TV and PA-TV were reported to be significantly more enjoyable than SED-TV. COMM-TV and PA-TV resulted in higher energy expenditure, more minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, and higher reported enjoyment compared to SED-TV. These findings have implications for reducing sedentary time during television viewing, which may impact health-related outcomes. Intervention trials are warranted to determine the effectiveness of these strategies

Pilot Feasibility Study of a Campaign Intervention for Weight Loss among Overweight and Obese Adults

Background: Behavioral interventions produce significant short-term weight loss. However, these interventions typically require regular in-person sessions, which may not be feasible for all individuals. Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of a 12-week campaign intervention (CI) compared to a standard on-site, group-based behavioral weight loss intervention (SBWL) among overweight/obese adults. Methods: SBWL participants (n=13; age: 42.5 ± 9.1 years; BMI: 33.4 ± 3.8 kg/m²) attended weekly group meetings, were prescribed a daily reduced caloric goal and 200 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. CI participants (n=13; age: 43.8 ± 9.0 years; BMI: 33.2 ± 3.8 kg/m²) received the same recommendations as the SBWL, attended in-person group meetings at weeks 0 and 12, and received e-mail messages weeks 2-11. Additional CI features included a thematic framework and an incentive-based point system targeting behavioral goals. Results: Significant weight loss was demonstrated for intention-to-treat (SBWL: -5.6 ± 2.9 kg; CI: -3.1 ± 3.4 kg) (

The effect of self-efficacy on behavior and weight in a behavioral weight-loss intervention.

To determine whether eating self-efficacy and physical activity self-efficacy are predictive of dietary intake, physical activity, and weight change within a behavioral weight loss intervention, and whether dietary intake and physical activity mediate relationships between self-efficacy and weight change

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29