Exercise alone does not seem to be effective in preventing weight gain once a woman is already heavy. The latest JAMA issue reports on a huge study trying to see if different levels of exercise prevent weight gain in women. This study looks at the 34,000 women in the Women’s Health Study, a huge cohort of women which has already reported on aspirin use and other variables. The results are not encouraging. Regular exercise was only associated with lack of weight gain in women who were thin (BMI<25) at the start of the study. Women who ranged from upper normal weight (BMI 25-30) to obese (BMI >30) gained weight even if they exercised regularly. The only group of women who did not gain weight over the 13 years of follow up in the study were thin women who exercised regularly for 60 minutes daily of moderate to high intensity exercise. This page effectively describes Aspirin side effects. The take home messages of this study are:
- Starting early with prevention of obesity is key. Once overweight it is far more difficult to prevent further weight loss. Multiple prior studies have demonstrated how difficult it is to achieve sustained weight loss.
- Calorie restriction is needed to prevent weight gain once overweight. Exercise alone is not sufficient.
The conclusion of this study sums it up pretty well.
“In conclusion, in this large prospective study of women consuminga usual diet, sustained moderate-intensity physical activityfor approximately 60 minutes per day was needed to maintainnormal weight and prevent weight gain. These data suggest that the 2008 federal recommendation for 150 minutes per week, while clearly sufficient to lower the risks of chronic diseases, is insufficient for weight gain prevention absent caloric restriction.Physical activity was inversely related to weight gain onlyamong normal-weight women; among heavier women, there was norelation, emphasizing the importance of controlling caloricintake for weight maintenance in this group.” JAMA. 2010;303(12):1173-1179
April Fool’s Day Myth-Information
This month our favorite nutrition expert sounds off on pervasive nutrition myths. Hear what Brooke has to say on DrPullen.com the first day of every month.
April Fool’s Day Myth-Information – by Brooke Douglas RD
From ‘loading up on grapefruit’ to ‘fasting in order to jump start your diet’, how do you separate fact from fiction? In the spirit of April Fool’s Day – let’s turn our focus to some of the most pervasive diet and exercise myths and put them to rest — once and for all.
Myth #1: To jump-start your diet, you should fast.
Fact: Not so fast! Skipping meals for extended periods of time is actually the best way to sabotage a diet! Though fasting may temporarily help you lose weight, it’s predominantly water weight. Not eating for extended periods can cause mild to severe fatigue and dizziness. Once you become ‘over-hungry’ all common sense is lost. This is when what I call ‘defensive’ eating sets in. Often excessive hunger, deprivation and physical weakness makes you respond like a Hoover vacuum and you’re bound to reach for high-calorie, high-fat and nutritionally poor choices in that state of mind. So, in fact, the more you don’t eat, the more likely you are to overeat in the end.
Myth #2: Calorie restriction is the key to weight loss.
Fact: While nutrition is more than half the weight loss battle, drastic caloric restriction is not the way to win the war. By dropping your caloric intake below 1200, you run the risk of slowing down your metabolism. As a result, your body will use your hard earned muscle for energy instead of fat.
In addition, extremely low calorie restrictive diets are hard to stick to, leave you feeling deprived, and usually end in disappointment. If that isn’t enough, when calorie consumption is too low you lack the energy to power through your workouts.
Having said that, you would be surprised how fast the calories add up. So keep a food record and stick to your maximum calorie, fat and fiber goal numbers, as established with a Registered Dietitian or call Brooke!
Myth #3: Low-Carb (high protein) diets are the most effective route to weight loss.
Fact: Before you ban your bread, consider this: Research used to suggest that obese people could lose more weight on a low-carbohydrate diet than on a conventional low-fat diet. Yet, the benefits demonstrated turned out to be small and short-lived. Multiple long-term studies which compared low-carb dieters to low-fat dieters found that low-carb dieters began regaining the weight they lost after six months. Worse yet, by the end of the year, they were no better off than the low-fat group. And here is my point about moderation not deprivation, because the dropout rate among all groups studied was extremely high. Proof that it really is about striking a balance between what you consume and what you burn. To do that for the long haul, you have to choose a diet that is sustainable, hence moderation!
Myth #4: Eating grapefruit will help you burn fat.
Fact: That eating grapefruits will help you lose weight is one of the most persistent among diet myths — and just when you think it’s gone, it resurfaces and becomes all the rage again every few years. There is no food that has intrinsic “fat-burning enzymes” that magically melt fat from your body. There was one study that demonstrated the effectiveness of a grapefruit inclusive diet, however, it was small, isolated, and there is some question as to whether the citrus industry sponsored the research. If you want to eat grapefruit as part of a well-rounded diet, go for it. Ruby Red grapefruits are rich in lycopene — an antioxidant that protects against heart disease and breast cancer – incorporate it and other lycopene-rich foods such as tomatoes and watermelon into your diet each day.
Have you met with a Registered Dietitian lately?
www.NutritionAuthority.com