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News: Exercise Doesn't Always Lead to Weight Loss
Greatist News examines and explains the trends and studies making headlines in fitness, health, and happiness. Check out all the news here.
That second cupcake is A-OK if we hit the gym later… right? Well, not so fast. New research suggests exercise might not be the key to weight loss [1]. According to the researchers, with the exception of elite athletes (like Olympians), humans burn pretty much the same amount of energy every day no matter what kind of exercise they do. If we can’t affect the output, then input is even more important. The study authors say it’s more important to focus on how much energy — aka how many calories, aka how many cupcakes — we put into our bodies.
The Study
Herman Pontzer and a team of Hunter College anthropologists compared daily energy expenditures in the Hadza (a modern hunter-gatherer tribe in Africa) and Western populations, who had much more sedentary lifestyles [1]. As researchers expected, the Hadza were more active than their laptop-loving Western counterparts. But here’s the kicker: When researchers measured how much energy each group spent on a daily basis, it turned out the Hadza tribe burned roughly the same amount as their Western counterparts.
Sound strange? Apparently humans burn roughly the same amount of energy every day no matter what kind of physical exercise we do. Instead, the researchers think the Hadza people’s bodies were able to spend extra energy on physical activity by conserving energy elsewhere, like on biological processes that take place inside cells. Based on these results, researchers say people who want to lose weight should focus more on how many calories they consume and less on how many they burn. And, despite what many health organizations claim, modern sedentary lifestyles might not be the sole cause of the obesity epidemic.
Can We Trust It?
It’s hard to compare the Hadza tribe to modern-day Westerners because their physical activity and diet are so different from the kind we do at the local gym. But that difference may not matter. Pontzer says he has reason to believe humans have been spending roughly the same amount of calories per day today for 100,000 years.
These findings aren’t totally isolated, with other research suggesting exercise interventions generally don’t help people lose weight [3].
But it’s too soon to start mass-cancelling our gym memberships. “Obesity is only one aspect of health,” Pontzer said, adding that exercise can also improve mental health and immune system function. And the concept of a set metabolic rate doesn’t necessarily apply to high-functioning athletes like Michael Phelps, who can burn as many as 8,000 calories a day.
Greatist Expert and cardiologist John Mandrola says neither exercise nor diet holds the solution to obesity: “Truly good health, or wellness, comes only when humans use their body and then feed it smartly each day.”
Has exercise been a weight-loss let down or do you swear by the gym? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Works Cited
- Hunter-Gatherer Energetics and Human Obesity. Pontzer, H., Raichlen, D.A., Wood, B.M., et al. Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, New York, New York. PLoS One 2012;7(7):e40503.⤴
- Hunter-Gatherer Energetics and Human Obesity. Pontzer, H., Raichlen, D.A., Wood, B.M., et al. Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, New York, New York. PLoS One 2012;7(7):e40503.⤴
- Why do individuals not lose more weight from an exercise intervention at a defined dose? An energy balance analysis. Thomas, D.M., Bouchard, C., Church, T., et al. Center for Quantitative Obesity Research, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ. Obesity Review 2012;10.1111:j.1467-789X.⤴
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Comments Leave a comment
Sorry, but speaking from experience I (and just about any other distance runner out there) can assure you that one burns far more calories through exercise (subsequently requiring a greater caloric input) than they would if they were to live a more sedentary lifestyle.
An individual who burns calories through physical exercise is going to have a higher caloric requirement than they would if they performed no exercise. How the individual responds to burning those calories is defined by their specific metabolism (among other things).
Hey Sean, thanks for your feedback. I said something similar to Herman Pontzer (who co-authored the study on the Hadza population) and he mentioned that people who do really intense exercise, like marathon runners or Olympic athletes, are definitely spending more energy than the average person, so they need more calories for fuel. And Diana Thomas, who coauthored the review of exercise interventions, mentioned that people only start to lose weight when they do a high dose of exercise, burning upwards of 700 calories a day. Let me know if you have any more questions -- we love to hear from readers. In the meantime, good luck distance running!
We hear so much from scientist, most people wouldn't know what to believe any-more. From what I gather, people are more confused now a days than anything else, the reason the market is full of "miracle diets" and "workouts" that will make look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.
I mean, the comparison they made here between Hadza tribe and Western counterparts is wrong, totally wrong due to food type difference (fresh meat from hunting to McDonald's burgers)
We all know that calories are consumed so our bodies survives the daily activities.
It's know (proven by science, again) that muscles requires calories to maintain themselves while fat purely sits there asking for nothing.Exercise, in my opinion, it's very important in losing body fat (noticed I didn't say weight), as is the reserve fuel after the existing glycogen is consumed and the calories burned is based on many factors as body mass, type of exercise and training type (endurance or strength).
I haven't seen anyone that succeeded in losing body FAT simply through diet and the main reason for that, beside lack of activity, is the fact that the body will rather burn muscle for maintenance than FAT.Also people doing the same exercise, over & over again... Have you ever heard of "hitting the plateau"? The more you repeat the same routine (not longer than 4 weeks), the less calories your body will burn to get you through it.
In conclusion, I'll say to the people that did this study, to get a grip of themselves and STOP confusing people.
@LucianIon Hi, and thanks for your comments. It can definitely be frustrating when there's so much conflicting research on weight loss. Your point about losing fat makes a lot of sense. In fact, when I spoke with the researcher who co-authored the study on exercise interventions (see citation 3), she mentioned that when people work out they tend to lose fat and gain muscle even if they're not necessarily losing weight.
As for the difference between Hadza and Western diets, the researchers in this study were looking to figure out whether modern sedentary lifestyles could be the cause of obesity. They weren't looking at eating habits -- just physical activity in the two groups. Turns out both groups burned the same amount of calories, so if there's a difference in body type between the two groups, it's likely a result of their diets or another factor.
The research can be really confusing and we're always happy to get feedback letting us know how we can improve our articles. Please feel free to add any more comments or questions if you have them!
This article honestly sounds like a lazy persons excuse to get out of working out. Being a runner and avid gym goer I would have to say that exercise indefinitely makes an impact on the amount of calories burned, weight, and overall health. Exercise in generally helps to burn calories and maintain your weight or lose weight. I for one am an example. Running leads to weight loss. As do other intense exercises. I think this article is full of it when it goes so far as to say that working out does not have an impact on weight loss. Sure, exercise is not the only area that helps someone lose weight, diet is a big part but I think this article is just an out for someone lazy enough to even try to believe what is said here...There are many contradictory studies out there that would say exercise has an impact on weight loss and other health factors.
II understand how you could think that and I have noticed different people have different outcomes. (Your mileage may vary) But that said, I had come to this same conclusion as this article, regarding myself, several years ago. My intense cardio workouts have no bearing on my weight loss. Wight loss, for me, can only be achieved through control of my intake. Now, that said, in no way would suggest that working out is not critically important as it improves health, energy, happiness and my personnel favorite, increased sexual appetite. The quality of life issues.
@Emily_M Very well said Emily....
Both exercising & nutrition, goes hand in hand when fat loss is the target :)
@LucianIon I couldn't agree more. Like I said, from experience I can easily say that this article is quite off.
@Emily_M Way off if you ask me... of course you didn't ask but I said it anyway ;)
@Emily_M @LucianIon Hi Lucianlon and Emily, I think the basic idea is that the best strategy for weight management really depends on the person. In general, exercise and proper nutrition are both hugely important parts of a healthy lifestyle. These findings aren't a reason to stop working out.
You might also be interested to know that, according to Thomas (see comment below), people who exercise generally lose body fat and gain muscle, even if they don't necessarily lose weight. So maybe that's what you've been noticing in terms of the way your body changes when you work out.
Thanks again for your feedback and stay tuned for more articles on health and fitness!
I achieved my ideal weight in 2 months with the guidance of http://www.7easydays.com . My constipation problem was relived and my constant bloating improved dramatically. I am so happy.
really?? I thought I could eat as much as I want as long as I exercise more. But well I guess you're right, even if we exercise we should still control our food intake especially if it's junk. Thanks, noted.