What is the activity factor for an ambulatory individual?

The activity factor for an ambulatory individual reflects the increase in daily energy expenditure due to a moderate level of physical activity. Individuals who are ambulatory can engage in light to moderate physical activities, such as walking, gardening, or other daily tasks without being sedentary.

An activity factor of 1.3 accurately represents this level of activity. It indicates that the individual engages in physical activity consistently throughout the day, which is more than just sedentary behavior but less than very active lifestyles characterized by rigorous exercise or demanding physical labor.

The other values given for the activity factors do not align with what is typically observed. For instance, a factor of 1.2 is generally used for sedentary individuals who do very little activity beyond the routines of daily living. A factor of 1.5 might be appropriate for more active individuals that regularly perform moderate exercise or physically demanding tasks, which does not align with the definition of an ambulatory person. Finally, a value of 2.0 usually corresponds to very high levels of activity, such as intense athletes or laborers, which overshoots the typical energy expenditure for someone categorized as simply ambulatory.