Diet Alone Will Not Likely Lead to Significant Weight Loss, Study Suggests

[The Straight Story]

Diet Alone Will Not Likely Lead to Significant Weight Loss, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Apr. 14, 2010) — Newly published research by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University demonstrates that simply reducing caloric intake is not enough to promote significant weight loss. This appears to be due to a natural compensatory mechanism that reduces a person's physical activity in response to a reduction in calories.

The research is published in the April edition of the American Journal of Physiology -- Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

"In the midst of America's obesity epidemic, physicians frequently advise their patients to reduce the number of calories they are consuming on a daily basis. This research shows that simply dieting will not likely cause substantial weight loss. Instead, diet and exercise must be combined to achieve this goal," explained Judy Cameron Ph.D., a senior scientist at OHSU's Oregon National Primate Research Center, and a professor of behavioral neuroscience and obstetrics & gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine, as well as a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.

To conduct the research, Cameron and OHSU post-doctoral fellow Elinor Sullivan, Ph.D., studied 18 female rhesus macaque monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. The monkeys were placed on a high-fat diet for several years. They were then returned to a lower-fat diet (standard monkey food) with a 30 percent reduction in calories. For a one-month period, the monkeys' weight and activity levels were closely tracked. Activity was tracked through the use of an activity monitor worn on a collar.

"Surprisingly, there was no significant weight loss at the end of the month," explained Sullivan. "However, there was a significant change in the activity levels for these monkeys. Naturally occurring levels of physical activity for the animals began to diminish soon after the reduced-calorie diet began. When caloric intake was further reduced in a second month, physical activity in the monkeys diminished even further."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100413170710.htm

[ixion]

1. Well, that's not actually true, although

dieting w/o proper exercise is not recommended, you can lose weight by watching what you eat and cutting calories. It's simple math. But to get the actual benefits, you need to exercise.

[Brickbat]

2. I prefer exercising to watching what I eat.

While I don't fill up on crap, I will have extra cheese on my grilled cheese if I damn well feel like it, and so on.

[Danieljay]

3. Duh. It's called Newtons Law of Motion.

"A body in motion stays in motion; A body at rest stays at rest" (body in this case being the human body)

Over 40% of Americans are completely sedentary during their leisure time.

Unless one has an underlying hormone problem, achieving and maintaing a healthy weight is pretty simple. Eat foods as they are found in Nature; no processed food or high fructose corn syrup, avoid toxins, choose free range or organic meats and vegetables, and MOVE YOUR BODY!

Oh, and that Starbucks Grande Capp. with milk and a shot of flavoring with a Walnut Zuchinni Muffin you ate for breakfast? Nearly 900 Calories. Approx. 1/2 your daily intake.