Dear Editor,
I am writing in regards to the article "How much exercise will prevent weight gain?" In it, a study done by a group of Harvard researchers looked to see how much physical activity was needed by adult women to maintain weight loss.
The results of this study are a bit depressing, as it said that women of normal-weight, who exercised one hour per day at a moderate level, did not gain more than five pounds over a three year period, but overweight women who did the same amount of exercise could not prevent weight gain. As a kicker, even normal weight women who got less than seven hours per week of exercise would still gain more weight. How maddening is that?! If a woman is overweight, they gain pounds even if they do workout regularly, and for those who do not do AT LEAST seven hours of exercise per week are basically guaranteed to see increases in their mass.
First, the recommended amount of physical activity for adults is 30-60 per day. Now, that claims to garner cardiorespiratory benefits for people, while not necessarily dealing with weight issues, but it would seem that such benefits would at least help people maintain their weight, not add to it.
Unfortunately, this data coincides with Schoeller (1997), who stated that women, who lost weight, would likely gain 4.5 or more kg during the year following that weight loss, and this also followed the trend that those who started out with less active lifestyles were more likely to gain. The article also comments on the fact that the required amount of physical activity required to maintain weight after weight loss was greater than the amount recommended by Center for Disease Control (CDC). Here, Schoeller claims that the difference in the amount of exercise recommended by the study and the CDC is possibly due to the different goals of each group, with one focusing on weight maintenance and the other aiming to give health benefits.
Another study (Serdula et al., 1999) mentions that two-thirds of adults are trying to lose weight, but that less than a fifth of them are using both reduced caloric intake and 150 minutes per week of exercise. This study seems to contradict the article, stating that the reason why weight loss is so difficult is because people are doing things incorrectly. So, from one study (your article, dear Editor) we are told that losing weight and maintaining weight loss are extremely difficult and made more so due to certain physiological criteria, and from another (Serdula's article), we are told that it is possible to lose weight, but must be done in the correct fashion. This seems to prove the idea that, in researching the human body, if we look around, we can find evidence to support both sides of the same story. How truly frustrating!
With love,
Blast Hardcheese
References:
Schoeller, D. A., Shay, K., & Kushner, R. F. (1997). How much physical activity is required to minimize weight gain in previously obese women? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 66, 551-556.
Serdula, M. K. et al. (1999). Prevalence of attempting weight loss and strategies for controlling weight. JAMA, 282, 1353-1358.
This is a great, interesting topic. I would have to agree, most adult women are facing some kind of diet, exercise, and weight loss issue. I believe media plays a strong role on weight loss and may skew what's considered healthy, but that's another issue. Adult women who are actually striving for a healthy weight must face the facts. Exercise requirements and proper nutrition must take place in order to achieve weight loss. Many individuals who are striving to lose weight may only focus on one aspect (nutrition, or amount and type of exercise). I would have to agree with Serdula's study. Weight loss is difficult, but possible if done correctly. Though these studies may be a bit discouraging, anything is possible with enough motivation, willpower, proper knowledge, and dedication.
I think this is a very interesting topic and one that is often misunderstood. People often think that physical activity is a a very cut and dry concept - "If i exercise for 45 minutes a day, I will lose weight and get in better shape." Rather, it is important to understand that 'getting in shape' means putting the body through stress, and the body's adaptation to those stress levels. For this reason, it is so important to keep track of workouts and not only vary your exercises, but also constantly increase the load and difficulty. If you always just run 2 miles, for example, your body will very quickly get used to that stress level and will not be affected by it (not to say some running isn't better than no running).
Weight loss and exercise is one of the most complex and confusing research topics out there. I have no idea what to believe about the true benefits of exercise for "getting in shape". The only conclusion that I can draw is that every individual responds to exercise differently and it is necessary to use a lot of trial and error until you find out what really works for you.
Recently I have done alot of research when it comes to which is better in order to achieve weight loss - diet or exercise-. What many people don't understand is the combination of the two. One cannot simply go run 6 miles and consume meals of high caloric intake. There needs to be a balance of energy expenditure and intake. Start a food journal and keep track of the calories you eat for example and just one idea to track what you eat. Many dont realize how much that stuff adds up expecially would all the high calorie foods around us. Really focus on what you are putting in your body as well as why types of exercise you are participating in.