Fidgeting and puttering to lose weight

Earlier this week Mickey suggested why fidgeting could be a key to weight loss. Now researchers are suggesting much the same thing: puttering. From ABC News:

Scientists have found intriguing evidence that one major reason so many  people are overweight these days may be as close as the seat of their pants.  Literally. According to the researchers, most of us sit too much.In most cases, exercise alone, according to a team of scientists at the  University of Missouri, isn't enough to take off those added pounds. The  problem, they say, is that all the stuff we've heard the last few years about  weight control left one key factor out of the equation. When we sit, the  researchers found, the enzymes that are responsible for burning fat just shut  down."It was hard to believe at first," said Marc Hamilton, associate professor  of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia and leader of  the research team. He said the team didn't expect to find a strong signal when  they began researching what happens to fat when we remain seated. But the  effect, both in laboratory animals and humans, turned out to be huge.The solution, Hamilton said, is to stand up and "putter."

The treadmill desk could be a solution, too.It goes without saying that puttering around the kitchen making and eating endless snacks will probably cancel out the benefits.