NEW YORK, Jul 18 (Reuters Health) - In a new study, exercising without
dieting was shown to be as effective for modest weight loss as dieting without
exercising.
Researchers in Canada studied 52 men with abdominal obesity, in which most
of a person's body fat is in the stomach region. The men where divided into four
different study groups: weight loss by dieting; exercise intended to produce
weight loss; exercise designed not to produce weight loss; or no special diet or
exercise (the control group).
At the beginning and the end of the 12-week study period, the investigators
measured the men's weight, total body fat, proportion of body fat in the
abdomen, body muscle, and physical fitness. In addition, the men were tested for
early signs of diabetes.
"Currently, no compelling evidence supports the observation that exercise
alone is not a useful method for reducing total or abdominal body fat," Dr.
Robert Ross of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, and colleagues write in
the Annals of Internal Medicine.
"Our findings are in stark contrast to previous observations. Although we
reaffirm that diet restriction is effective for reducing total and abdominal
obesity, our findings also demonstrate that 12 weeks of approximately 60 minutes
of daily exercise without caloric restriction is associated with substantial
reductions in body weight," the authors report.
On average, men in both the diet and the exercise-weight loss programs lost
about 16 pounds. The weight of the men in the other two groups did not change,
but Ross and colleagues note that all men who exercised, even the ones who did
not lose weight, experienced an increase in physical fitness.
The researchers point out that obesity is related to many illnesses
including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
"It is very important to get involved in an exercise program that offers
some kind of support, whether it be with a trainer or a group of friends,"
Richard Cotton, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit
organization based in San Diego, California, said in an interview with Reuters
Health.
"It is better to start your exercise program gradually and make your first
goal consistency," according to Cotton.
"You want to stick to you regimen and start out by doing less than you think
you are able," Cotton told Reuters Health. "For one, you'll reduce your chance
for injury and it keeps your exercise routine comfortable which is easier to
stick to...as opposed to a program where you are beating yourself up."
Then, Cotton added, "You want to gradually increase your intensity as you
get into better shape."
