Working Out More Effective than Counting Calories, Study Suggests

Rebecca Lewis January 14, 2016

Serious about losing weight this year and becoming fitter than ever? You need not go the extra mile of counting your calories. According to new research, physical activity is the most effective tool in fighting obesity as it blunts the effects of a major obesity gene by 75 per cent.

The study, conducted by McMaster University, found that just one hour a week of jogging or swimming for obese people is more beneficial than diets or reducing portion sizes. This, according to the researchers, dispels the long-standing theory that counting calories is the most effective tool in fighting obesity.

Their study involved nearly 17,400 people from six ethnic groups: South Asian, East Asian, European, African, Latin American and Native North American. Researchers followed the participants for three years, tracking their physical activity and calorie intake. They determined that physical activity can blunt the genetic effect of FTO – a major contributor to obesity – by up to 75 per cent. They concluded that physical activity can influence obesity, despite the broad range of lifestyles of the study participants.

To support their findings, the researchers cited a recent analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cohort from 1988 to 2010, which found that physical activity has a larger impact on BMI and waist circumference trends than caloric intake.

‘This provides a message of hope for people with obesity predisposing genes that they can do something about it.’ says Dr David Meyre, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics. ‘Our body weight destiny is not only written in our genetic blueprint.’

‘These promising results encourage us to investigate how additional lifestyle factors, such as diet, stress and sleep patterns, may impact the genetic predisposition to obesity.’

While the study highlights the importance of physical activity in fat loss, still, we need to pay attention to ensuring that we observe a balanced diet. For faster weight loss results, plus a healthier physique, health experts always recommend portion control and smart food choice.

Source of this article:

Just ONE hour of jogging or swimming a week is ’more effective in fighting obesity than counting calories’