INDIANAPOLIS, Jun 05 (Reuters Health) - Obese women are more likely to
improve their health when they exercise to feel better, not to lose weight,
study findings show.
"You can get fit without losing weight," according to Cindy Byfield, a
dietitian with Colorado State University in Fort Collins. In a study of 56
obese, sedentary women, Byfield and her colleagues found that an exercise
program that focused on fitness instead of weight loss improved the women's
cardiovascular performance by 13%. In contrast, women who followed a
"traditional" exercise plan saw their performance increase by only 5%.
While that difference was not statistically meaningful, the women in the
fitness-focused program actually had a small reduction in body mass index (BMI),
a measure of height and weight, and those in the traditional exercise group did
not.
Byfield presented her findings here on Saturday at the annual meeting of the
American College of Sports Medicine.
In the study, the women were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The
experimental group followed a 6-month program designed to improve body image and
get the women involved in any kind of activity that would get them moving for 30
minutes on most days of the week. Women in the traditional exercise group were
given either a 6-month gym membership or an exercise plan, along with
instruction on how to start exercising.
Byfield's team assessed the women's fitness levels with tests on a
stationary bike. Only the women in the experimental program had significantly
boosted their cardiovascular endurance by the study's end.
In an interview with Reuters Health, Byfield said the key to the program's
success was its focus on activity of all kinds. "We did not focus on weight
loss. It wasn't encouraged or discouraged," she said. Instead, she said, the
women were supposed to try various activities on their own or in groups--from
walking and biking to belly-dancing classes.
The women also met weekly to discuss their progress. According to Byfield,
most had been discouraged from exercising because of embarrassment over their
body size and because they were unsure how to exercise.
"There was a misconception that you have to go for the burn to get any
benefit," Byfield said. However, she added, "larger-sized people can focus on
small changes."
