One of America’s leading experts sensationally claims that exercise alone will not help you lose weight.
Dietary researcher and author Professor Tim Spector agrees that working out is “great” for health in general, and the heart in particular.
He even insisted that “everyone should do it.”
But when it comes to weight loss, Professor Spector argued that exercise “doesn’t help on its own.” That goes against advice from global health organizations that say it’s “key” in defeating the bulge.
Professor Spector conceded that exercise is “very good for your health” and “makes you feel better”, but if “your goal is to lose weight” you shouldn’t exercise alone.
Professor Tim Spector (pictured above) says that exercise is “greatly overstated as a simple solution to our obesity problem.”
On Steven Bartlett’s podcast, “The Diary of a CEO,” he says that exercise, of any kind, actually “has little effect on weight loss.”
Professor Spector, who trained as an epidemiologist and made a name for himself tracking Covid during the pandemic, said:
“It is greatly exaggerated to say that our obesity problem can be easily solved.
“All the studies show that.
“The only caveat to this is that if you’ve changed your diet, improved your diet, and lost weight, maintaining some level of exercise can prevent it from coming back.
“But by itself, it means nothing unless you change your diet, which is now well known by obesity experts and researchers.”
He added: “It’s so good for your health, I exercise. It’s great for your mood, it’s great for your mind.”
“We all should do it, but if your goal is weight loss, you definitely shouldn’t.
“It’s a huge myth, especially perpetuated by gyms and fitness apps. It’s complete nonsense,” he said.
Professor Spector’s comments run counter to some of the most trusted health advice. “Being active is key to losing and maintaining weight,” he said, according to the NHS.
Eating fewer calories can help you lose weight, but maintaining flab permanently “needs physical activity to expend energy.”
Calories are a way of measuring energy, either the amount found in food or the amount burned through activity.
People gain weight when they consume more calories than they burn in their daily activities. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume.
As a result, restricting calories or exercising more is the first step for many people seeking a slim physique.
Speaking on the same podcast, Professor Spector recommended that those looking to lose weight simply consider changing their diet.
He said that calorie counting, while effective in the short term, is “complete nonsense” because most people who follow a tedious regimen “bounce back.”
Instead, he recommended eating more plant-based foods, eating within 10 hours, and avoiding ultra-processed foods.
Official guidelines say adults should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity for 4-5 days per week.
Examples of strenuous exercise include running, swimming, skipping, and climbing stairs.
Similar advice, including muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week, exists in the United States.
A combination of lack of exercise and unhealthy diet has been blamed for the growing obesity epidemic around the world.
Two-thirds of UK adults are overweight and are projected to become even fatter in the future. Rates are even higher in the United States.
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