Sources & science
FastWalk Diet builds your daily step goal, calorie target, weight projection, and pace recommendations on a few well-established, peer-reviewed studies and public-health guidelines. We don't invent numbers. Here are the primary sources we use.
1. Step goals & walking-for-health
- Paluch et al., 2022 — Daily Steps and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of 15 International Cohorts, The Lancet Public Health. Found that mortality risk decreases up to ~6,000–8,000 steps/day for adults 60+, and ~8,000–10,000 steps/day for younger adults — no significant extra benefit beyond. This is why the app's default goal is 8,000. doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (2018). Recommends 150–300 min of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly — brisk walking counts. health.gov/physical-activity-guidelines
2. Calorie targets & BMR
- Mifflin, St Jeor et al., 1990 — A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The Mifflin–St Jeor formula is the most widely validated way to estimate BMR from height, weight, age, and sex. We use this exact formula for your "BMR" and calorie target. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305711
- Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics — current practice guidelines recommend Mifflin–St Jeor as the preferred BMR equation for adults.
3. Safe rate of weight change
- CDC — Losing Weight. Recommends a gradual, steady pace of 1–2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) per week for sustainable weight loss. FastWalk Diet's expected-weekly-change estimate stays inside this range. cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight
- NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Weight Management. Same 1–2 lb/week guidance; notes faster loss is typically water or muscle, not fat. niddk.nih.gov/weight-management
4. Walking + diet combined
- Jakicic et al., 2003 — Effect of Exercise Duration and Intensity on Weight Loss in Overweight, Sedentary Women, JAMA. Showed that combining moderate-intensity walking with modest calorie reduction produces better long-term results than diet alone. jamanetwork.com/197333
- Gutiérrez-Fisac et al., 2012 — Prevalence of general and abdominal obesity in the adult population of Spain. Supports the pattern that dietary fiber and regular moderate activity together predict healthier waist circumference over time.
- WHO Physical Activity Fact Sheet (2020) — who.int/physical-activity
5. Post-meal walking
- Buffey et al., 2022 — The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health, Sports Medicine. Light walking after meals produces measurably better post-meal glucose profiles than sitting. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01606-7
6. Hydration, protein, fiber nudges
- Dennis et al., 2010 — Water Consumption Increases Weight Loss During a Hypocaloric Diet Intervention, Obesity. Drinking water before meals modestly increased weight loss in the intervention group. doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.235
- Paddon-Jones et al., 2008 — Protein, weight management, and satiety, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Protein at meal starts reduces total intake via satiety pathways.
- Slavin, 2013 — Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits, Nutrients. Daily dietary fiber of ~25–30 g is associated with easier weight management. doi.org/10.3390/nu5041417