Figure 2  Energy expenditure above resting values for sitting in an office chair, using the office‐place stepping device at a self‐selected speed and walking on a treadmill at a velocity selected for exercise in 10 obese and 9 lean subjects. Data are displayed as mean±standard error of the mean. For the group as a whole, the increase in energy expenditure compared to sitting was significantly greater for the stepper than for treadmill walking (^¥p = 0.03). When lean and obese subjects were compared, the energy expenditure associated with using the stepper was significantly greater for obese subjects than for lean subjects (*p = 0.03); also the energy expenditure associated with using the treadmill was significantly greater for the obese subjects than for the lean subjects (**p = 0.005).