Walking Can Help Keep Dieters on Right Track

Question: I want to get into an exercise program, and the main reason is that I want to lose some weight. I’m already on a diet, but it’s going too slow for me. I know that exercise is supposed to be good for the heart, but that’s not what I’m concerned about. Would walking do me any good? I think I’d enjoy walking more than any other kind of exercise, but I want an exercise that will help me lose a few pounds.

Answer: Walking can be a valuable part of a weight-reduction program. For the average person, running will burn off only about one-fourth to one-fifth more calories than will walking.

One reason I recommend walking for many of my patients is the greater likelihood that they will continue in such a program. Running may burn more calories, but it won’t do much good if you don’t run. Exercise should be a pleasurable experience. If you enjoy walking, it can provide a number of benefits, including a reduction in tension and anxiety.

Q: My mother is in her 70s, and she is no longer willing to go for gynecologic examinations. Are these important for someone her age? Should I insist that she go?

A: Older women should be receiving routine gynecologic care either from their primary physicians or from a gynecologist. It is well to keep in mind that the peak incidence of most gynecologic malignancies occurs in women in their sixties and seventies. For example, one-fourth of all cases of cervical cancer occur in women over 65 years of age, and the peak incidence of ovarian cancer is at 70 years old.

You might want to ask your mother if she would prefer a woman physician. Some older women are less reluctant to undergo gynecologic examination when the physician doing the examining is a woman.