Study: Regular Physical Exercise Not Diet Is The Secret To Preventing Obesity

For someone who wants to lose weight, there are only two activities that he should perform, move more and eat less. However, most advise that one should take diet more seriously than exercise. But according to new reports, exercise, more than diet is the key to preventing obesity

New Study Determines Exercise And Weight Loss Independently

For those who want to shed extra pounds, most would advise diet than exercise. Although doing both is more efficient, there are claims that exercise is not very efficient because it can increase one's appetite.

So, a group of researchers did a study to examine exercise and weight loss independently. "The purpose of this study was to look at exercise independently from weight loss and to determine other metabolic benefits associated with physical activity. Our team aimed to tease out what effects on adipose, or fat tissue, were due to weight loss from diet, and what could be attributed to exercise," said Vicki Vieira-Potter, assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at MU per EurekAlert.

Exercise Better Than Diet In Battling Obesity

The team studied a group of young rats prone to obesity. They group the rats into three to determine the impact of exercise on their metabolic function and fat tissue. All the groups were fed with high-fat diet.

Two groups were sedentary. However, one group was allowed to eat as much as they wanted, while the other group only received a controlled portion. The third group of rats who exercise was allowed to each as much as they wanted.

After several weeks, the team evaluated the rats' metabolism and physical activity. They learned that sedentary rats with unlimited food access were obese compared to the other group that received controlled portion. But the most notable results showed that exercising rats who eat as much as they wanted were metabolically healthier than the two sedentary groups. They also developed different gut microbes despite eating the same food, which is better for the health.

According to Steven Lewis author of the article titled "Regular Physical Activity: A 'Magic Bullet' for the Pandemics of Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease" there are a lot of misconceptions concerning the role of regular physical activity, caloric intake and calories burned during a workout that leads to most into believing that diet is better. "Calorie restriction dieting has been recommended as more practical for weight control than regular physical activity, and this is a big problem," Lewis told Science Daily.

Lewis and his co-author Charles Hennekens suggest that one should keep moving. A 20-minute brisk walking a day can burn you 700 calories a week. This will reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by 20 to 40 percent. They also recommend resistance exercise like weight lifting.

Were you surprised that regular physical activity is more efficient in battling obesity than diet? Do you believe that moving more than eating less is effective in weight loss? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.