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Getting healthy and losing weight have long been connected with two lifestyle changes: eating less, and exercising more. A recent study has shown, however, that exercise appears to hold far less importance in the fight against flab than diet does. Read on to find out why scientists say that you should be increasing your chances of weight loss with diet changes rather than an increase in exercise – and why staying fit is still important, anyway.

No less active

Levels of obesity have risen considerably in the past twenty years, but over that period of time, it seems that people have not decreased their activity levels. While time-saving technology continues to increase the number of tasks and leisure activities that can be performed ‘in the comfort of your own home’, it seems that people have maintained the level of activity of twenty years ago, simply replacing some sedentary activities with others.

The good news

The fact that people are still getting a reasonable amount of exercise is certainly a good thing, considering the benefits that exercise does have. While exercise is shown to be less effective than healthy eating in promoting weight loss, it’s still vital to your health in promoting healthy good blood circulation and building muscle tone, among other benefits.

The solution

The authors of the study have pointed out that to reach a healthy weight, an obese person would have to exercise for around four hours a day, but could achieve the same result by reducing their intake of calories by one third. The moral of the story? Healthy food prepared in your own kitchen – and less of it – is the key to losing weight, but for the sake of your health you won’t want to abandon the running shoes just yet.

Tags: healthy Eating, keeping fit