a woman grocery shopping (Photo : Reuters)
While no magical formula exists for losing weight, a recent New York Times article argued that people interested in shedding pounds have been focusing too much on gym workouts and not enough on healthy diets. Although physical exercise can burn fat, it is only for long-term weight loss.
Dr. Tara Narula, a cardiologist at Lennox Hill Hospital explained to "CBS This Morning" that both are important for sustained weight-loss. However, "caloric restriction" provides a bigger return on investment.
People often have the misconception that they can easily burn extra calories at a gym. However, it is easier to "take out" calories.
Narula gave the example of someone with a caloric intake of 3,000 calories every day. It would take 1.5 times longer to lose a pound of fat by doing exercise to burn 200 calories every day, than to eat a daily diet with 500 fewer calories, according to WCTV.
Narula explained the diet vs. exercise situation. A person could spend 1 to 1.5 hours doing a gym workout, or simply eat a healthy diet by cutting out high-calorie foods such as soft drinks and chocolate cupcakes.
A meta-analysis published in 2014 showed that adding exercise to a six-month weight management program had no effect on dropping weight, according to the New York Times. However, in a one-year program the results were weight-loss of 3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg).
Exercise has value in long-term weight loss and increasing muscle mass. Working out also includes other health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improved mood and sleep.
Another key cause of obesity is that losing weight becomes more difficult as people age, due to slower metabolisms. They drop around 2 percent each decade.
Besides eating a healthy diet, hormone changes can also make it more difficult for dieters to transform their bodies into a fat burning machine. More hormones result in a bigger appetite.
Narula's final verdict in the exercise vs. diet debate is that when someone is obese, the act of losing weight is extremely challenging. But it is also "extremely important."
