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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – An article recently appeared in Time magazine making statements about weight loss and exercise that run counter to fact and public interest. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) issued a rebuttal to the claims presented in John Cloud’s article “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.”
Among its numerous claims, the story would have us believe the following myths:
Exercise can stimulate hunger so you eat more.
Willpower can’t conquer the hunger enough to make good food choices, so you tend to satisfy the hunger with high fat and high sugar foods.
Vigorous exercise depletes energy resources so much that it leads to over eating and weight gain. You are so tired after exercising that you feel lazy and eat greasy foods.
Leisure-time physical activity – just moving around during the day – is more effective for weight loss than dedicated exercise.
To prevent heart disease, it is more important to lose weight than to be aerobically fit.
In fact, a vast amount of research has definitively proven that exercise combined with a moderate diet results in both weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight. ACSM just released an updated, evidence-based scientific position stand in early 2009 that proves these exact points.
There is strong evidence from the majority of scientific literature that physical activity is an important component of an effective weight loss program
Physical activity is one of the most important lifestyle factors in weight management
Participation in an exercise program has proven to be the very best predictor of maintaining weight loss
Effective weight loss and maintenance depend on the simple equation of energy balance: Calories expended through physical activity and normal lifestyle functions must exceed calories consumed.
There is little evidence that exercise produces hunger so uncontrollable that it leads to weight gain.
Research and common sense disprove the notion that exercise can cause overeating and prevent weight loss. Look around the gym or the jogging trail. If this were the case, wouldn’t those who regularly exercise be the fattest?
Cardio exercise can improve heart health by strengthening the heart (which is a muscle that responds to exercise like skeletal muscle); improving stamina; decreasing blood pressure; lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Even for the non-overweight, exercise provides benefits that no single pill or prescription ever could. It treats numerous chronic conditions, such as heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, depression and anxiety. Studies show that when students are more active (through physical education, classroom activity, play, etc.) they improve test scores and attendance and experience fewer discipline problems and sick days. Participants in workplace wellness programs have reduced absenteeism, error rates and health care costs. They feel more alert, have better rapport with co-workers and enjoy their work more.
Exercise does require effort and discipline, but it doesn’t need to involve expensive equipment, gym memberships or team athletics. Accessible, efficient and convenient exercise is available to all. With minimal equipment it can be done easily at home, out doors or on the road.
Simple activities like walking, accumulated in 10-15 minute bouts, can have dramatic results over the long term. Squeeze a couple of mini-workouts into your day and you’ll reap all the benefits of one long workout. Think of each bout as a building block of fitness that adds up to an active lifestyle.
Exercise is a health tool we all need regardless of our weight. Advice about exercise and weight loss should come from a qualified health or fitness professional instead of irresponsible articles that may not showcase the full realm of scientific facts surrounding the issue.
Joan Pagano is certified in health and fitness instruction by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a best selling author and the owner of the Joan Pagano Fitness Group.
Joan is the author of Strength Training for Women (2004); Strength Training Deck (2006); 8 Weeks to a Younger Body (2007), 15-Minute Total Body Workout + DVD (2008) and 15-Minute Ab + DVDs ( 2009). All titles published by DK Publishing
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