Got a mind to recline? So do millions of obese Americans, according to a study that suggests some people may be biologically designed to remain seated.In unusual research involving uniquely designed underwear, researchers found that obese people stand or move about much less during waking hours than lean people do, and therefore burn an average 350 fewer calories per day. Even more intriguing, the study found this tendency to stay seated remained unchanged in the obese people even after they dieted down to a healthy weight. “It’s very clear from our study that this phenomenon is not due to a volitional lack of willpower -- in fact, it’s quite the opposite. There seems to be, in some people, a biological drive to be seated,” said lead researcher Dr. Jim Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. The findings are published in the Jan. 28 issue of Science.
