NEAT - Prevention and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity.

Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) - Prevention and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity

This study will investigate the effect on Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) when implementing active workstation at offices compared to conventional office work. The primary hypothesis is that this implementation will lead to a significant increase in time spent walking per day.

NEAT consists of the energy expenditure of the physical activities that are non sporting-like and that we perform in our everyday life, such as walking, cleaning, shoveling snow etc. Which occupation we have play a big role in how much we are able to active our NEAT during our days and those who have more active jobs can expend up to 1500kcal more per day than those with sedentary jobs.

This study aims to try and increase NEAT at offices where sedentary time often is high. Participants will be randomized to either an intervention group or to a control group. Participants in the control group will continue to work at their regular desk, but will receive an individual health talk in the beginning of the study where diet and physical activity recommendations will be discussed.Participants in the intervention group will receive the same individual health talk and a treadmill desk, which they will use for 12 months at self-selected speed. They will be recommended to walk on the treadmill for at least 1 hour per day.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Office workers with mainly sedentary tasks
• BMI 25-40

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe depression and/or anxiety
• Exhaustion disorder
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Severe cardiovascular disease
• Severe kidney disease
• Musculoskeletal disorders that prohibit walking on a treadmill
• Contraindications for physical activity
• Thyroidea illness
• Pregnancy

For fMRI-study, additional exclusion criteria are:

• Implanted metal- or electrical devices
• Pregnancy
• Extraneous metal pieces in the body