Exercise Is Necessary for Weight Loss
A 2009 New York Time magazine article argued that exercise alone will not cause a person to lose weight -- long term. The author of the article stated that it is what you eat that counts, not how hard you try to work it off. In fact, it is generally accepted that exercise alone is not as effective, in losing weight, as exercise plus a low calorie diet. However, recent studies confirm that exercise IS necessary in weight loss, along with diet.
Researchers at Oregon health sciences University showed that just limiting the number of calories you take in does not lead to noteworthy weight loss. The research was done using rhesus monkeys. One group of monkeys was fed a high calorie diet for several years, then put on a low-fat diet. And another group was given a low-fat diet and taught to exercise on a treadmill for an hour a day.
The group on the low-fat diet lost less weight than the monkeys on the low-fat diet plus exercise program. The researchers concluded that the body has a built-in mechanism that conserves energy when food is scarce. We've heard this before, but the study just confirms the importance of exercise and a proper diet in weight loss and weight control.
And concerning diet, research done by a group at the University of Rhode Island found that exercise plus a high fiber whole-grain diet might provide the maximum weight loss. A high fiber whole-grain diet supplies valuable nutrients as well as fewer calories than many diets.
At any rate, it appears that, to lose weight, it is important to combine exercise with a proper diet. And while diet alone probably won't give you long term success, a diet plus exercise can offer the kind of success you need, and the kind of success bariatric and weight loss centers can market.
Researchers at Oregon health sciences University showed that just limiting the number of calories you take in does not lead to noteworthy weight loss. The research was done using rhesus monkeys. One group of monkeys was fed a high calorie diet for several years, then put on a low-fat diet. And another group was given a low-fat diet and taught to exercise on a treadmill for an hour a day.
The group on the low-fat diet lost less weight than the monkeys on the low-fat diet plus exercise program. The researchers concluded that the body has a built-in mechanism that conserves energy when food is scarce. We've heard this before, but the study just confirms the importance of exercise and a proper diet in weight loss and weight control.
And concerning diet, research done by a group at the University of Rhode Island found that exercise plus a high fiber whole-grain diet might provide the maximum weight loss. A high fiber whole-grain diet supplies valuable nutrients as well as fewer calories than many diets.
At any rate, it appears that, to lose weight, it is important to combine exercise with a proper diet. And while diet alone probably won't give you long term success, a diet plus exercise can offer the kind of success you need, and the kind of success bariatric and weight loss centers can market.
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