What's exercise got to do with obesity? Not much.

T

tomdavis

I don't have the expertise to know if this article is accurate/true or not, but it's an interesting read for those us interested in nutrition and exercise.


Debunking the Hunter-Gatherer Workout

DARWIN isn’t required reading for public health officials, but he should be. One reason that heart disease, diabetes and obesity have reached epidemic levels in the developed world is that our modern way of life is radically different from the hunter-gatherer environments in which our bodies evolved. But which modern changes are causing the most harm?

Many in public health believe that a major culprit is our sedentary lifestyle. Faced with relatively few physical demands today, our bodies burn fewer calories than they evolved to consume — and those unspent calories pile up over time as fat. The World Health Organization, in discussing the root causes of obesity, has cited a “decrease in physical activity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation and increasing urbanization.”

This is a nice theory. But is it true?

Full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/opinion/sunday/debunking-the-hunter-gatherer-workout.html
 
Diet is absolutely critical in losing body fat (note that I did not say losing weight).

It is a heck of a lot easier to not eat 500 calories than to expend 500 calories on a treadmill or even in the weight room.

That said, muscle burns more calories than fat. And losing weight only by cutting calories works better in the short run than in the long.

One will get the most bang for the buck doing both--cutting calories (and eating food dense with nutrients) AND building muscle with anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise has mixed results--burning fat and losing muscle is not ideal, but that often happens when people focus on aerobic exercise/

Health (good food and exercise) must become a lifelong habit if one plans to keep the weight off and enjoy all of the long-term benefits of health/
 
Quote from Lucrum:

I've lost 25 lbs in the last several months with almost entirely nothing but dieting.

(weight watchers)
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Congrats, weight watchers is a great program to follow.
Nice results, keep up the healthy choices.
 
I'd have to disagree with this. If anyone who is obese got into the habit of burning 2000 calories, 3-5 times a week, while getting amped up on endorphins and taking in the beautiful countryside..... they might eat less.

I have never seen an obese cyclist.
 
Quote from smilingsynic:

Diet is absolutely critical in losing body fat (note that I did not say losing weight).

It is a heck of a lot easier to not eat 500 calories than to expend 500 calories on a treadmill or even in the weight room.

That said, muscle burns more calories than fat. And losing weight only by cutting calories works better in the short run than in the long.

One will get the most bang for the buck doing both--cutting calories (and eating food dense with nutrients) AND building muscle with anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise has mixed results--burning fat and losing muscle is not ideal, but that often happens when people focus on aerobic exercise/

Health (good food and exercise) must become a lifelong habit if one plans to keep the weight off and enjoy all of the long-term benefits of health/
More...
This.

The only observation I would add, and it is more an opinion than anything else, is that an obese person who has not exercised in a long time most likely won't be able to do resistance exercise with any meaningful intensity at the outset and should probably complement resistance with cardio during the early days. Perhaps more reliance on cardio than resistance in the beginning, and gradually shifting emphasis to resistance as he or she progresses and increases intensity to get more of the "after burner " effect. And sure as heck none of the above without a physician's consent and periodic monitoring.
 
Quote from Wide Tailz:

I'd have to disagree with this. If anyone who is obese got into the habit of burning 2000 calories, 3-5 times a week, while getting amped up on endorphins and taking in the beautiful countryside..... they might eat less...
More...
How long do you think it takes someone, especially an obese someone who has to take it slower, to burn 2,000 calories? (Think hours.) And you're suggesting they do this 3 to 5 times a week? Also, I read somewhere that cardio exercise enhances appetite more so than resistance work.
Quote from Wide Tailz:

...I have never seen an obese cyclist.
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Perhaps they've fallen and can't get up, and are therefore below your line of sight.
 
Quote from Brass:

This.

The only observation I would add, and it is more an opinion than anything else, is that an obese person who has not exercised in a long time most likely won't be able to do resistance exercise with any meaningful intensity at the outset and should probably complement resistance with cardio during the early days. Perhaps more reliance on cardio than resistance in the beginning, and gradually shifting emphasis to resistance as he or she progresses and increases intensity to get more of the "after burner " effect. And sure as heck none of the above without a physician's consent and periodic monitoring.
More...

Maybe they should try some of your famous ballerina squats.
 
Quote from Brass:

How long do you think it takes someone, especially an obese someone who has to take it slower, to burn 2,000 calories? (Think hours.) And you're suggesting they do this 3 to 5 times a week? Also, I read somewhere that cardio exercise enhances appetite more so than resistance work.

Perhaps they've fallen and can't get up, and are therefore below your line of sight.
More...

:D

Wimps need not apply
 
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