- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- Traffic, Dust Linked to Asthma in Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- U.S. Spends Billions On Alternative Medicine
- Taking the Mystery Out of Hypnotherapy
- Health Tip: Anticipating Acupuncture
- ANIMAL CARE
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Beware of Dog Bites
- BONES & JOINTS
- Improved Hip Implants Can Last 20 Years
- Weight Loss Might Not Curb Knee Arthritis
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- CANCER
- Exercise Cuts Lung Cancer Risk in Ex-Smokers by 45%
- Minorities Distrust Medical System More
- Steady Weight Gain Boosts Late-Life Breast Cancer Risk
- CAREGIVING
- Weekend Admission May Be Riskier for GI Bleeding
- Are Hospital Mobile Phones Dialing Up Superbugs?
- Recession Scrambling Health Spending in U.S.
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Bye, Bye Back Fat?
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Grapefruit-Heavy Diet Helped Spur Dangerous Clot
- COSMETIC
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
- New Genetic Links to Baldness Discovered
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk
- Biological Product Shows Promise Against Gum Disease
- Amino Acid May Be Key to Strong Teeth
- DIABETES
- Chamomile Tea May Ward Off Diabetes Damage
- Insulin Resistance Tied to Peripheral Artery Disease
- Lifestyle Factors Tied to Older Adults' Diabetes Risk
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Research Confirms How Valuable A Healthy Lifestyle Can Be
- Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Depression
- Eating Healthy : You Can Live Longer
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Hairspray Exposure Ups Risk for Birth Defect in Sons
- Dementia Underestimated in Developing Countries
- Greener Neighborhoods Mean Slimmer Children
- EYE CARE, VISION
- FDA Goes After Unapproved Eye Washes, Skin Ointments
- Just Like Skin, Eyes Can 'Burn' in Strong Sun
- Antioxidant-Rich Diet May Protect Against Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- Exercise Guards White Blood Cells Against Aging
- Being Active an Hour a Day Puts Brakes on Weight Gain
- Marathoners Go the Distance on Heart Health
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Biomarkers May Help Measure Rate of Decline in Dementia
- What you need to know about swine flu.
- Healthy Eating While On Vacation
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Airport Full Body Scanners Pose No Health Threat: Experts
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Cherry-Enriched Diet Cut Heart Risks in Rats
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- A Little Chocolate May Do the Heart Good
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- The HPV Vaccine: Preventative Medicine or Human Sacrifice?
- Swine Flu Closes Three Schools in NYC
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- KID'S HEALTH
- Protect Your Kids From Swine Flu While at Camp
- Guard Kids' Eyes Against Long-Term Sun Damage
- Winter's Bitter Cold Poses Health Dangers
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Sunlight May Help Protect Men From Kidney Cancer
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- The Dark Side of Vegetarianism
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- Fear Response May Stem From Protein in Brain
- Chocolate a Sweet Pick-Me-Up for the Depressed
- PREGNANCY
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- Mom's Extra Pregnancy Pounds May Raise Child's Heart Risks
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- SENIORS
- Seniors Cope With Sleep Loss Better Than Young Adults
- Nighttime Urination Linked to Higher Death Rate Among Elderly
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
For Fitness, Cutting Calories May Not Be Enough
By eholistic.com Published: 01/08/2010
If you're vowing to lose weight this year, consider adding a regular exercise program while you're cutting calories.
Combining the two results in better health outcomes -- such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels -- than simply cutting calories alone, a new study finds.
"It's better to lose weight with a combination of caloric reduction and exercise rather than caloric reduction alone," said study author Dr. Enette Larson-Meyer, an assistant professor of family and consumer science at the University of Wyoming.
For the six-month study, the researchers assigned 36 overweight men and women, average age 39, to one of three groups. One group cut calories by 25 percent. The second cut calories by about 12.5 percent and exercised enough to increase energy output by 12.5 percent. A control group simply stayed on a weight-maintenance diet.
At the study's end, both the caloric-restriction group and the caloric-restriction plus exercise group lost about 10 percent of their body weight. The average weight at the study start was about 178 pounds, so the loss at the end was about 17 pounds on average.
The exercise prescription varied according to body weight at the start, but typically men walked for 50 minutes at a brisk pace five days a week, and women, 45 minutes five times a week, Larson-Meyer said. They could choose their preferred activity and intensity, however.
At the end, those who included exercise had better health outcomes, according to the study published in the January issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
"The big improvement was related to blood pressure," Larson-Meyer said. The exercising and dieting group had greater blood pressure improvements, and improvement in cholesterol and insulin sensitivity, too, she said.
"It's not surprising at all," Larson-Meyer added. "They definitely work together."
Working with a professional to decide on calorie restriction and workout routine is best, she noted, especially for obese people with orthopedic problems.
The results make sense to Dr. Walt Thompson, a professor of kinesiology at Georgia State University who has studied exercise adherence for years. "I think it finally proves what we have been saying for a long time," he said. "Effective weight-loss programs have to include diet and exercise."
While it's not difficult for people to start an exercise program -- many people do so every January 1st, he noted -- sticking with it is hard for most. "By January 15, 50 percent are going to drop out," he predicted.
His tips for getting people to stay faithful? Identify what is important to you -- long-term goals. That might be weight loss. Then come up with short-term exercise goals to help you get to the long-term goal.
Hiring a wellness coach might help, too, he noted. They are experts in helping people change their behaviors.
Overcoming obstacles is important, Thompson said, and lack of time is a big one. When he hears that excuse, he asks people how much TV they watch. Two hours a day is the typical answer.
His suggestion: Record the programs to watch later, skip the commercials, and you've found your exercise time.
He tells potential exercisers to find something that motivates them. "Two things motivate me," said Thompson. "My dad had a heart attack at 52, and I was bound and determined not to."
His other motivation? About 32 years ago, before he married his wife, she said to him: "If you get fat, I will divorce you."
He's pretty sure she wasn't kidding. And now, it matters little. He remembers her saying it as if it were yesterday, and it still motivates him.
SOURCES: Enette Larson-Meyer, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor, family and consumer science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo.; Walt Thompson, Ph.D., professor, kinesiology, Georgia State University, Atlanta; January 2010, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Published on: January 08, 2010
