Study reveals primary cause of obesity — and it's not lack of exercise

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Well..I've always suspected this.
Obesity in America is about eating too much...and too much of the wrong stuff.
You can eat to live..or you can live to eat--take your pick~

Study reveals primary cause of obesity — and it's not lack of exercise

Scientists find that diet, especially ultraprocessed foods, has a greater impact on obesity than physical activity levels, challenging common weight gain assumptions.

www.foxnews.com

Obesity among adults continues to be a major public health issue in the United States and other economically developed countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

"It's a mix of poor diet, high stress levels, lack of muscle and lack of frequent movement," Lindsay Allen, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Back in Balance Nutrition in Florida, told Fox News Digital.

While both overeating and lack of exercise are often to blame, a new global study suggests that one factor far outweighs the other.

When adjusted for body size, people across all lifestyles and income levels burned similar amounts of energy, even if their daily routines were drastically different.

"The differences in body fat that we see across populations likely aren't due to major differences in activity level or total daily energy burned," study authors Amanda McGrosky (from Elon University in North Carolina) and Amy Luke (Loyola University in Illinois) told Fox News Digital.

"Rather, excess body fat is likely primarily the product of too many 'calories in,' or eating more calories than are burned."

"Our analyses suggest that increased energy intake has been roughly 10 times more important than declining activity rates in driving the modern obesity crisis," the authors stated.

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, agrees with the adage that "you can’t out-train a bad diet."

"Exercise burns far fewer calories than people want to believe," Osborn, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
"This latest data only confirms what I’ve seen in my clinic: We’re not gaining weight because we stopped moving. We’re gaining because we’re overfed."

 

[Donald H]

"It's a mix of poor diet, high stress levels, lack of muscle and lack of frequent movement," Lindsay Allen, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Back in Balance Nutrition in Florida, told Fox News Digital.

Wrong, the study you offer up repudiates your thread title. Even the most brain deadd conservative should have understood that!

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Wrong, the study you offer up repudiates your thread title. Even the most brain deadd conservative should have understood that!

Nope...your snippet does not repudiate..if that's even the word you wanted...anything.
No-one is saying that lack of exercise does not play its role..as does stress---but obesity is all about intake vs consumption--and only a fool would not see that our intake, on the average, is far in excess of our consumption--calories-wise.

BTW..did you just call me a Conservative??

I guess to a dedicated Socialist, such as yourself, I might appear so--but that's far more about you than it is about me.

 

[Darkwind]

Nope...your snippet does not repudiate..if that's even the word you wanted...anything.
No-one is saying that lack of exercise does not play its role..as does stress---but obesity is all about intake vs consumption--and only a fool would not see that our intake, on the average, is far in excess of our consumption--calories-wise.

BTW..did you just call me a Conservative??

I guess to a dedicated Socialist, such as yourself, I might appear so--but that's far more about you than it is about me.

It isn't as simple as kCal in vs kCal out.

The quality of what you eat is every bit as important.

Many studies show that moving to a full-blown carbohydrate diet is the key factor in obesity in the United States.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

It isn't as simple as kCal in vs kCal out.

The quality of what you eat is every bit as important.

Many studies show that moving to a full-blown carbohydrate diet is the key factor in obesity in the United States.

Sure..and eating copious quantities of same.

I dunno..slice it how you will..but stay on the 2k calorie diet strictly--no matter the actual content---it will keep obesity out of the picture for 99% of us.

Yeah, from a health perspective, what you eat is totally important--but looking at strictly obesity--that's what works..IMO.

 

[1srelluc]

Thank goodness water is still wet!

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Sure..and eating copious quantities of same.

I dunno..slice it how you will..but stay on the 2k calorie diet strictly--no matter the actual content---it will keep obesity out of the picture for 99% of us.

Yeah, from a health perspective, what you eat is totally important--but looking at strictly obesity--that's what works..IMO.

NO actual content does make a big difference.

One trip thru McD's to get a Big Mac Combo is 1170 calories alone, then add a large Strawberry shake at 800 calories that one meal puts you right under 2K

Vs 3 home prepared meals and snacks of proteins, fruits & vegs, and healthy carbs that total 2K

Even if both scenarios were sedentary lifestyles, the one with the Big Mac would gain more excess fat weight



Portion size makes a huge difference as well.......Americans have gotten used to huge portions of food that are actually several servings in one.

Ever go to a fancy restaurant (especially European) and ordered some steak meal and gotten a smaller sized portion than expected? Thinking it wasn't enough for a 3 yo??? Just because they adhered to more proper serving size portions

 

[there4eyeM]

it is amazing and amusing to see the extent to which society had gone to try to obfuscate the simple fact that taking in more calories than are burned means weight gain.

 

[Donald H]

The active lifestyle comes first. Then he/she won't have any interest in hamburgers, fries, and the BBQ greasy meat with the sugar syrup dripping off of it.

Diets don't work. They're nothing but a money making scam by an industry that only cares about profits.

First of all, government with a social (ist) responsibility is needed in the land of the gun.

 

[Yarddog]

Thank goodness water is still wet!

Maybe in your world!!!

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

It isn't as simple as kCal in vs kCal out.

Unless you have alien DNA, it actually is that simple.

The quality of what you eat is every bit as important.

Correct. Even in a caloric deficit, if you aren’t eating good calories, you could end up having other issues, but you will still lose weight

Many studies show that moving to a full-blown carbohydrate diet is the key factor in obesity in the United States.

Carbs do not cause obesity. Too many calories causes it.

 

[Seymour Flops]

It isn't as simple as kCal in vs kCal out.

The quality of what you eat is every bit as important.

Many studies show that moving to a full-blown carbohydrate diet is the key factor in obesity in the United States.

A diet that reduces carbohydrates, you mean?

 

[Darkwind]

A diet that reduces carbohydrates, you mean?

No. The government promotes a diet guaranteed to cause obesity and diabetes.

A diet that reduces or eliminates carbohydrates is a much healthier one.

 

[Seymour Flops]

No. The government promotes a diet guaranteed to cause obesity and diabetes.

A diet that reduces or eliminates carbohydrates is a much healthier one.

Yes, I agree. I was once 240 pounds at 5'4" and the only diet that ever worked for me was a low-carb diet which was a combination of Atkins and the Four Hour Body diet. I lost two pounds per week very steady and got down to under 170, which is my upper limit ever since.

However . . . I have recently started strength and hypertrophy training, while researching it, and have very, very, reluctantly come to three conclusions about the low-carb diet:

1) It is actually the reduction in calories that causes the overwhelming majority of the weight loss, and not the ratios of macro-nutrients providing those calories. It really is about calories in versus calories burnt, to paraphrase a poster above. One could eat Twinkies and tater chips but keep the total daily calories eaten significantly under the daily calories used and lose weight in a predictible way. A low carb diet eliminates many high calorie foods, which causes the weight loss.

2) Eating protein in large amounts promotes fat loss. If combined with resistance training, primarily free weights and cable weights, protein will allow muscle growth, ensuring that nearly all of the weight loss is fat loss. So, you won't gain muscle on a Twinkie-centric diet, even though you would lose weight if calories are restricted.

3) Losing weight by any method of calorie reduction, including a hypothetical Twinkie diet, will improve key numbers such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and cancer risk. Probably not as much as a healthy low-calorie diet, though.

That's what I've seen, but YMMV in reading research.

 

[Darkwind]

Yes, I agree. I was once 240 pounds at 5'4" and the only diet that ever worked for me was a low-carb diet which was a combination of Atkins and the Four Hour Body diet. I lost two pounds per week very steady and got down to under 170, which is my upper limit ever since.

However . . . I have recently started strength and hypertrophy training, while researching it, and have very, very, reluctantly come to three conclusions about the low-carb diet:

1) It is actually the reduction in calories that causes the overwhelming majority of the weight loss, and not the ratios of macro-nutrients providing those calories. It really is about calories in versus calories burnt, to paraphrase a poster above. One could eat Twinkies and tater chips but keep the total daily calories eaten significantly under the daily calories used and lose weight in a predictible way. A low carb diet eliminates many high calorie foods, which causes the weight loss.

2) Eating protein in large amounts promotes fat loss. If combined with resistance training, primarily free weights and cable weights, protein will allow muscle growth, ensuring that nearly all of the weight loss is fat loss. So, you won't gain muscle on a Twinkie-centric diet, even though you would lose weight if calories are restricted.

3) Losing weight by any method of calorie reduction, including a hypothetical Twinkie diet, will improve key numbers such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and cancer risk. Probably not as much as a healthy low-calorie diet, though.

That's what I've seen, but YMMV in reading research.

The thing is, many, many of the people I follow and talk with lose weight even though they are eating more kCal per day then they were before.

The key is insulin.

You can and likely will end up in a kCal deficit because if you eat 700 kCal of beef, not only does your blood sugar not spike, causing an insulin response, but you remain satiated longer. Most people who eat a low/zero-carb diet often end up just eating once or twice a day.

A low to zero-carb diet has actually put Diabetes type 2 into remission and eliminated the need for drugs to control it.

Another key feature of the low-to-zero-carb diet is that autophagy becomes easier when doing a 24, 36, or 48-hour fast.

It is a complete health-focused diet. Plus, you put on muscle mass which increases metabolizm.

It's hard to see how this diet isn't the one promoted by the US Government.

 

[Seymour Flops]

The thing is, many, many of the people I follow and talk with lose weight even though they are eating more kCal per day then they were before.

The key is insulin.

You can and likely will end up in a kCal deficit because if you eat 700 kCal of beef, not only does your blood sugar not spike, causing an insulin response, but you remain satiated longer. Most people who eat a low/zero-carb diet often end up just eating once or twice a day.

A low to zero-carb diet has actually put Diabetes type 2 into remission and eliminated the need for drugs to control it.

Another key feature of the low-to-zero-carb diet is that autophagy becomes easier when doing a 24, 36, or 48-hour fast.

It is a complete health-focused diet. Plus, you put on muscle mass which increases metabolizm.

It's hard to see how this diet isn't the one promoted by the US Government.

I won't argue, because I got great results from low-carb, so far be it from me to discourge anyone else. I did find it much easier to follow than counting calories, that's for sure.

I wish you all the benefits that I got from low-carb!

 

[braalian]

Get into powerlifting. Eat vast amounts and lift heavy

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Much of what passes for “carbohydrates” these days are soft bioweapons with near absolute zero nutritional value

 

[Woodznutz]

Wrong, the study you offer up repudiates your thread title. Even the most brain deadd conservative should have understood that!

In many if not most articles on this subject the terms "activity" and "exercise" are conflated. They are not the same thing. Exercise is not necessary to maintain fitness, but normal activity, moving about, is. Most calories are burned just maintaining internal body functions. Much less is expended on physical movements.

 

[Donald H]

In many if not most articles on this subject the terms "activity" and "exercise" are conflated. They are not the same thing. Exercise is not necessary to maintain fitness, but normal activity, moving about, is. Most calories are burned just maintaining internal body functions. Much less is expended on physical movements.

No. Activity doesn't do it for most in this modern world. That makes exercise necessary for most.