# Study: Exercise Won't Cure Obesity



## Tina

Study: Exercise Won't Cure Obesity

Well, I have no idea. Maybe it just depends upon the person. The only way I've ever been able to lose a meaningful amount of weight, and keep it off with any degree of success, was to exercise AND watch the types of foods I eat. Takes both for me. 

BTW, I've also read that those who eat beef (have read the same about dairy, too) are more likely to lose weight. The study was probably paid for by the beef industry...

They still haven't a clue about weight; just opinions.

*Study: Exercise Won't Cure Obesity*

Physical activity has many proven benefits.

It strengthens bones and muscles, improves mental health and mood, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. Exercise is also good for your brain.

It may not be a cure-all for obesity, however.

Though better nutrition coupled with exercise has long been the favored prescription for losing weight and avoiding obesity, a new study suggests diet actually plays the key role.

Researchers from Loyola University Health System and other centers compared African American women in metropolitan Chicago with women in rural Nigeria. On average, the Chicago women weighed 184 pounds and the Nigerian women weighed 127 pounds.

Researchers had expected to find that the slimmer Nigerian women would be more physically active. To their surprise, they found no significant difference between the two groups in the amount of calories burned during physical activity.

"Decreased physical activity may not be the primary driver of the obesity epidemic," said Loyola nutritionist Amy Luke, a member of the study team.

Burn more, eat more... Read More...


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## Shosh

Hi Tina,

Welcome back.


I find that I have to watch what I eat and exercise to keep weight off. People forget that exercise is good for a lot of other reasons too, not the least it releases feel good endorphins from the brain, that help to regulate mood.

Kind of a natural anti depressant.


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## comperic2003

Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that the 300 calories I burn while exercising won't help me lose as much weight as the 1000 calories I cut while dieting? Amazing! Tell me more, enourmous-waste-of-money-and-testament-to-dietary-stupidity study.

Oh, and this wonderful little nugget of idiocy is frightening



> Diet is a more likely explanation than physical activity expenditure for why Chicago women weigh more than Nigerian women, Luke said. She noted the Nigerian diet is high in fiber and carbohydrates and low in fat and animal protein. By contrast, the Chicago diet is 40 percent to 45 percent fat and high in processed foods.



So, let me get this straight. Women of Nigeria weigh less because they eat a high carb, low fat diet. Interesting. I would have figured it was THE LACK OF FOOD. Go figure.

Jesus, that has to be one of the most useless studies I have ever seen. Thanks for the article, Tina; sometimes I need to be reminded why I am not going into nutritional research.


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## No-No-Badkitty

Well, it seems that no matter what I eat and how much I exercise I just don't shed the weight. I suppose the only way I would ever get down to about 250lbs would be to either cut off a limb or go for the surgery induced bulemia.
Choices Choices Choices.


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## Jon Blaze

I bet if this gets mainstream attention, some people are going to misinterpret this as "That means I don't have to workout!," and that's not size related.

"It strengthens bones and muscles, improves mental health and mood, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. Exercise is also good for your brain."

One says that yet almost pushes it away like "Oh.... but that doesn't matter." Honestly? FAIL 

I agree with Comp. What a load of horseshit. Even if this were true, it doesn't change the fact that exercise is good for you (And arguably more important when it comes to overall HEALTH, but that doesn't matter if you're fat...  )


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## tonynyc

Just adding to the postive thoughts - I agree with Blaze and Comperic on the benefits of exercise. As long as there are no pre-existing conditions and one is able to follow a sensible plan go for it- and nothing looks nicer than to see a BBW with a Barbell. To me that's just eyecandy in the gym.


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## Risible

My reply to the claim that " a new study suggests diet actually plays the key role" is YMMV. I've lost (and regained) hundreds of pounds over the years, and it has all been accomplished by exercise combined with limiting of calories. Exercise may not be a "cure" for obesity, but it surely is necessary to lose weight in my case. Dieting is not a "cure" either, for that matter.


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## EpsilonCool

My girlfriend has always been pretty active despite being well over 300lbs.

She started to take early morning walks about 2 months ago and has blown up like a balloon. 
We worked out that it was because she used to have cereal and toast for breakfast. 
When she excercised she thought she should split the meal so she had cereal before she went out but had worked up a healthy appetite when she came back so had a damn site more than just the toast. She worked out that she was taking in 3x as many calories as she had just burnt off.

Since switching to eating the whole breakfast BEFORE going for a walk she has started to lose a bit of weight. Not before she burst the seams on her favourite dress though!


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## danbsc29630

Kind of reminds me of my brother, He lost 60 lbs on 900 miles of the AT and then Joined the Army and Couldnt loose even a pound in basic training. He was still technicaly overweight by the Army's standards. 

The nut of obesity is one we have not cracked yet.


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## Paul Delacroix

comperic2003 said:


> So, let me get this straight. Women of Nigeria weigh less because they eat a high carb, low fat diet. Interesting. I would have figured it was THE LACK OF FOOD. Go figure.
> 
> Jesus, that has to be one of the most useless studies I have ever seen. Thanks for the article, Tina; sometimes I need to be reminded why I am not going into nutritional research.



The entire purpose of this very unscientific-sounding study seems to have been to put down exercise and to endorse calorie-restrictive dieting. To keep dieting "sustainable". 

Reminds me of the articles you'll read in "scientific" magazines putting down alternative energy and touting fuel conservation as the 'only solution'.


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## Risible

Paul Delacroix said:


> The entire purpose of this very unscientific-sounding study seems to have been to put down exercise and to endorse calorie-restrictive dieting. To keep dieting "sustainable".
> 
> Reminds me of the articles you'll read in "scientific" magazines putting down alternative energy and touting fuel conservation as the 'only solution'.



Good point, Paul.

Nice to see you posting again.


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## TheIceManVer2.0

"...that those who eat beef (have read the same about dairy, too) are more likely to lose weight. The study was probably paid for by the beef industry..."

Tina, that may be true, but there is also truth about beef helping lose weight. I have read that beef raises testosterone levels, and thus, coupled with exercise, creates lean muscle mass, which in turn burns fat. I am proof of that. I recently started eating more beef and eggs(also raises testosterone), and cut my carbs lower. Also, I read that mixing fatty meat with heavy carbs is a recipe for weight gain due to the carbs spiking insulin and body holding onto the fat in the meat. Actually makes sense. So I guess there is another wrinkle (food combining) that most don't even realize, which, depending on a person's goals, could lead to a loss or gain.


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## comperic2003

TheIceManVer2.0 said:


> Tina, that may be true, but there is also truth about beef helping lose weight. I have read that beef raises testosterone levels, and thus, coupled with exercise, creates lean muscle mass, which in turn burns fat.



Not only that, but protein is the most satiating nutrient.



TheIceManVer2.0 said:


> Also, I read that mixing fatty meat with heavy carbs is a recipe for weight gain due to the carbs spiking insulin and body holding onto the fat in the meat. Actually makes sense.





Under the model of insulin provided by mainstream health literature, yes, the model is simple and appears to make sense. But this model is far too simplistic and downright dishonest, to have be of any relevance. So many other factors are involved in fat storage. Acylation stimulating protein (ASP), for example, has been shown to be even more influential in fat storage than insulin. And ASP can be stimulated without the presence of carbs in the bloodstream. 



TheIceManVer2.0 said:


> So I guess there is another wrinkle (food combining) that most don't even realize, which, depending on a person's goals, could lead to a loss or gain.



Food combining, as it pertains to weight loss, is poor science at best. Besides, protein raises insulin as well and in some cases, even more than an equal amount of carbohydrates.


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## Gordo Mejor

TheIceManVer2.0 said:


> "...that those who eat beef (have read the same about dairy, too) are more likely to lose weight. The study was probably paid for by the beef industry..."



I'm always amused at the multiplicity of studies "discovering" the benefits of drinking wine. Who's behind these. For example, grapes have the same antioxidants. Why aren't they lauded? Why wine?

Yeah. I know. Grape growers can't afford to pay for the studies.


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## JimP

The more I exercise is going to the mail on my bike, I eat red meat once a year at best and my alimentation mostly consist of bread, pasta and rice and my BMI is still comfortably under 25. All these diets and exercise things are nonsense. Don't need to starve or exercise hours everyday to stabilize at his natural weight, only to eat in reasonable quantity. Once done the body adapt accordingly.

All these no fat and sugar free food and the do more sport campaign are just an insane marketing plot.


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## bulletproof

It should definitely be a mix of things that do it, but overall just exercising won't change anything. It has to be exercise, diet and lifestyle that you change if you want to cure obesity.

I lost 3 stone because I was overweight and it was done by cutting down the calories i was having and exercising more


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## Miss Vickie

Yeah, uhm, William I don't think you quite get what we're about here.

Maybe spend some time around here before giving advice?


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