7-Eleven offering free snacks for walking 5,000 steps a day – Taipei Times
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7-Eleven offering free snacks for walking 5,000 steps a day
- By Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNA
People who walk at least 5,000 steps a day would be eligible for freebies from 7-Eleven stores to encourage healthier lifestyles under a collaboration between the convenience store chain and the Taiwan Millennium Health Foundation
Participants could earn points on the UniOpen app by walking 5,000 steps a day, recording health measurements and maintaining a balanced diet, the foundation said
These points could be redeemed at 7-Eleven stores for healthy drinks and snacks such as tea eggs, soy milk and sugar-free tea, it said
Health Promotion Administration Director-General Shen Ching-fen, center, demonstrates a waist measurement during a news conference in Taipei today
From tomorrow until Aug. 31, participants could also take part in limited-time challenges for a chance to win NT$10,000, it added
International research suggests that increasing daily steps to 5,000 can reduce mortality risk in inactive adults by up to 37 percent, the foundation said
More than 8.5 million people in Taiwan live with chronic disease, according to National Health Insurance Administration statistics
Waist circumference is an important health indicator, with health assessments no longer focusing on just weight or BMI alone, Health Promotion Administration Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) told a news conference today
A higher waist circumference is associated with an increased risk of fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood lipids and other metabolic disorders, she said
To reduce the burden of chronic diseases on Taiwan’s healthcare system, initiatives in recent years have focused on prevention rather than relying on medication alone, she said
Healthy lifestyle habits are more effective than medication at reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases, with up to 20 percent of people with metabolic syndrome able to reverse the effects with early intervention before it develops into chronic disease, she added
In middle age, both men and women often develop an enlarged waistline, Taiwan Association of Lifestyle Medicine chairman Lin Hung-jung (林宏榮) said
Combating chronic diseases cannot rely on medicine alone, or simply eating less and exercising more, but instead requires a comprehensive lifestyle plan, he said
Lin cited Diabetes Prevention Program results published in early 2002, which showed that intensive lifestyle intervention reduced the development of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent, while metformin treatment reduced it by just 31 percent
Moreover, an updated study in US medical journal JAMA this year found that lifestyle intervention reduced the risk of developing multiple chronic conditions in adults with prediabetes by 21 percent, and decreased the risk of stroke, chronic kidney disease and heart failure by up to 43 percent, he said
Another study published in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews found that taking 5,000 steps a day was associated with a 37 percent lower mortality among older adults, compared to those who took 3,000 steps a day, he said
Gradually increasing the amount to 7,000 steps per day is associated with further reductions in mortality risk, alongside reduced risk of diabetes and dementia, Lin said
People over 60 who walk 7,000 steps a day see a 51 percent reduction in mortality rate compared to those who take just 3,000 steps, he added
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