NEAT idea could change office workplace.

• Position: IN BRIEF - Non-exercise activity thermogenesis - Methods of exercising - Brief Article

Obesity researchers at the Mayo Clinic have redesigned their office space to resemble a gym.

They say walking on a treadmill while checking email and discussing business during a run around the track could help an average person, say a male weighing 160 pounds, lose a tremendous amount of weight with a consistent diet.

Researchers say NEAT - short for "non-exercise activity thermogenesis," or the calories people burn by walking, standing and fidgeting--can add up to a significant determinant of physical health.

Thin people, a recent report says, spend about 152 minutes more on their feet per day than heavier "couch potatoes."

They say people that hate going to the gym - counting themselves among that group - could benefit greatly from the "ultimate...