(20-07-10) Nutrition More Important than Exercise for Weight Loss, Suggests Study

by Marek Doyle, citizen journalist


Women who rely on exercise to lose weight are destined to fail, so says a
study that appears in the Journal of American Medical Association. Researchers
found that exercise alone was useful in maintaining the weight for women, but
it had no effect on heavier women.

The study analysed almost 35,000 women over a period of 15 years. The
scientists found that for women whose BMI was less than 25 kg/m2, there was a
clear dose-response correlation between activity levels and weight gain. It
took one hour's moderate-intensity exercise each day to avoid the gaining of
weight. Exercise did not, however, reduce weight and did not even maintain
weight among women with a BMI from 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 or in those with a BMI of
30.0 kg/m2 or more. This was true regardless of how much exercise the
participants did, with both exercise and nutritional interventions required to
successfully reduce weight.

"Among women consuming a usual diet, physical activity was associated with
less weight gain only among women whose BMI was lower than 25," said the study
authors. "Women successful in maintaining normal weight and gaining fewer than
2.3 kg over 13 years averaged approximately 60 minutes a day of moderate-
intensity activity throughout the study. These data suggest that the 2008
federal recommendation for 150 minutes per week, while clearly sufficient to
lower the risks of chronic diseases, is insufficient for weight gain prevention
absent caloric restriction."

The findings, while far from providing an answer to Western society's battle
of the bulge, act as confirmation of what many observers have known for a long
time: more sweat on the treadmill does not necessarily equate a smaller
waistline. Conclusions that exercise has little effect on weight loss are also
premature, as the study did not make any distinction between aerobic exercise,
which can inhibit weight loss through increased cortisol release, and
resistance training, a preferred option for many personal trainers in improving
body composition.

More than anything, the study backs the importance of a nutritional program in
any efforts relating to bodyweight management. Women who wish to lose weight
should work smart by addressing their nutritional needs before adding exercise
related to their goal. Working smart, it appears, is highly preferable to
working hard.

References:

http://www.nutri-online1.co.uk/Defa...

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle...

Gettman, L. R., & Pollock, M. L. (1981). Circuit weight training: A critical
review of its physiological benefits. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 9(1),
44-60.

Source: NaturalNews

News

---

In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.