Experts argue on how to fight 'globesity'

BOSTON, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers disagree on how best to address "globesity" -- more than 1 billion overweight adults and 300 million clinically obese worldwide.

Rena Wing, a professor of psychiatry at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I., said that to address global obesity large lifestyle changes are necessary, such as exercising 60 to 90 minutes a day.

"We live in an obesogenic environment that relies heavily on fast food, automobiles and remote controls -- all which can be labeled as 'toxic' to maintaining a healthy body weight," Wing said in a statement.

"We've found that bigger changes are needed for success."

However, James Hill of the University of Colorado Denver said small daily changes, such as using the stairs, are enough to prevent incremental weight gain that can lead to obesity.

Both researchers discussed how to best stave off weight gain at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston.