Photo Credit: Grinvalds

The daily step count needed to reduce the risk for obesity varies based on an individual’s genetic risk for higher BMI, according to a study published online in JAMA Network Open. Evan L. Brittain, MD, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study involving All of Us Research Program participants. The researchers examined the association between genetic risk for higher BMI and the level of physical activity needed to reduce incident obesity. Overall, 3,124 participants met the inclusion criteria; 3,051 had available data. To have a comparable risk for obesity, individuals with a polygenic risk score in the 75th percentile would need to walk a mean of 2,280 more steps per day than those at the 50th percentile. To have a comparable risk for obesity as those at the 25th percentile of BMI, those at the 75th percentile would need to walk an additional 3,460, 4,430, 5,380, and 6,350 steps/day with a baseline BMI of 22, 24, 26, and 28 kg/m², respectively.