The role of exercise in the treatment of obesity
Abstract
The prevalence of obesity in the USA has increased dramatically in the past decade. This foreshadows an increase in the rates of morbidity and mortality from obesity-related diseases and increases in the number of individuals undergoing weight-loss therapy. Although exercise has long been recommended for inclusion in such therapy, the present review has found that it has had little or no effect on weight loss per se when the exercise is limited to the typically prescribed 3-5 h/wk of moderate or vigorous activity. However, further review has shown that exercise helps to preserve and at times even increase fat-free mass during weight loss. At the same time, fat loss is generally increased. Neither type nor amount of exercise appears to have much effect during treatment, with the possible exception of resistance training, which is associated with the best outcome for fat-free mass. The most important role of exercise, however, is in the maintenance of the weight loss. In this respect, the volume of exercise seems to be important because several lines of evidence have indicated that exercise must expend roughly 2500 kcal/wk to maintain weight loss. Studies of weight maintenance, however, have generally not included randomized controls; thus, further research is required to solidify these conclusions.
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There are limited differences in results for absolute changes in body composition between various treatment methodologies for overfat individuals.
“several authors [4-9] have previously noted that there are limited differences in results for absolute changes in body composition with comparison between the various methodologies employed for treatment of weight issues for an individual who is overfat.”
Responses to treatment for overfat adults are more related to an energetic imbalance between dietary caloric load and expenditure from activity than to the actual intervention (diet, exercise, or combination).
“While others [4,9-12] have indicated the responses are more related to an energetic imbalance (e.g., kcal/day, kJ/day) between dietary caloric load and expenditure from activity that results from the intervention of choice (e.g., diet, exercise, or combination therein) than the actual intervention for the adult who is overfat.”
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- Authors
- Votruba, S. B., Horvitz, M. A., & Schoeller, D. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schoeller, Dale A
- Venue
- Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2000-03
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 179-188
- ISSN
- 0899-9007 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2036006633
- Cited by
- 140
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 8.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- obesity, physical activity, weight loss, weight maintenance, fat-free mass, fat loss, resistance training, energy expenditure, obesity-related comorbidities
- MeSH terms
- Body Composition, Humans, Obesity, Weight Lifting, Weight Loss, Exercise
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