Is diet better or is exercise the best way forward for weight loss? We have received reports of a National Institute of Health study carried out in the United States that has looked into the question that provokes vigorous discussion among all nutritionists.

The study showed that both diet and exercise are effective to induce weight loss but they saw that dieters can sometimes lose muscle mass instead of all the fat that they are trying to lose. The researchers also advised that men and women who were in their fifties and sixties would be better off with bit of exercise as a weight loss method as opposed to diet.

The researchers sought the answer to the question that was simply “whether a calorie restriction diet can extend lifespan”. It was seen that both diet and exercise on their own helped people to lose weight but the exercisers were seen to have maintained muscle strength and mass as well as to have boosted their aerobic capacity while those who just dieted shed some of their muscle strength and mass and lost some of their aerobic capacity too.

The great thing about exercise it that it will over time increase the metabolic burning rate of the body meaning that more calories will be burned off during the day when just going about usual tasks. The exercise will also mean greater strength, which will improve quality of life especially in older people.

The head researchers said that if he had to choose between the two as a means of losing weight he would go for exercise first as opposed to diet. He said that you must remember that firstly exercise is more time consuming than diet and also it is important that you keep you eating habits the same and do not eat more to compensate for the exercise.

The study only looked at people of 50 to 60 years old who had a range of BMI’s from 23 right up to 30. Thirty-four people took part in the survey and roughly half of them dieted and the other half exercised.

Ukmedix has come across research previously that seems to show that weight loss is achieved faster and more effectively by dieting and not by exercise. It is important to be sensible with diet and exercise and not to try to lose too much weight too quickly. Remember always to think long term and not to go through eating binges and then sudden diets, as this is not good for you. Exercise makes you stronger and fitter and this is not just good for your weight but also for your health in general.