"Americans Exercise More....Obesity Rates Still Climbing"
Silentpadna
Posts: 1,306 Member
...says the CDC.
I would link it, but it was actually just a 15 second news radio story I heard on the way into the office today.
The CDC spokesperson cited the "fact" that 70% of the battle is in the diet, but Americans believe that exercise alone will do the trick.
This struck me for 2 reasons:
1. I've always said (guessed really based on my own experiences) that 80% of the battle was in the kitchen (diet). I guess this could be a small case of confirmation bias....
2. A vast majority of the "I Can't Lose Weight" posts start off with how much exercise the poster is doing, many times with no other information.
So, MFP peeps, how can we emphasize the importance of the CI side of the energy balance? You want to lose weight? You almost have to find a way to eat less. That can seem harsh, but seems true enough to me - and most of the veterans around here (of which I am not one).
I would link it, but it was actually just a 15 second news radio story I heard on the way into the office today.
The CDC spokesperson cited the "fact" that 70% of the battle is in the diet, but Americans believe that exercise alone will do the trick.
This struck me for 2 reasons:
1. I've always said (guessed really based on my own experiences) that 80% of the battle was in the kitchen (diet). I guess this could be a small case of confirmation bias....
2. A vast majority of the "I Can't Lose Weight" posts start off with how much exercise the poster is doing, many times with no other information.
So, MFP peeps, how can we emphasize the importance of the CI side of the energy balance? You want to lose weight? You almost have to find a way to eat less. That can seem harsh, but seems true enough to me - and most of the veterans around here (of which I am not one).
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Silentpadna wrote: »...says the CDC.
I would link it, but it was actually just a 15 second news radio story I heard on the way into the office today.
The CDC spokesperson cited the "fact" that 70% of the battle is in the diet, but Americans believe that exercise alone will do the trick.
This struck me for 2 reasons:
1. I've always said (guessed really based on my own experiences) that 80% of the battle was in the kitchen (diet). I guess this could be a small case of confirmation bias....
2. A vast majority of the "I Can't Lose Weight" posts start off with how much exercise the poster is doing, many times with no other information.
So, MFP peeps, how can we emphasize the importance of the CI side of the energy balance? You want to lose weight? You almost have to find a way to eat less. That can seem harsh, but seems true enough to me - and most of the veterans around here (of which I am not one).
Yes I completely agree that you cannot out train a bad diet. You lose weight by eating a calorie deficit. Except....there is no almost about it....to lose weight you NEED to find a way to eat less.20 -
You can't outrun a bad diet. That saying has been around for ages. Most of my exercise is running and I've gained ~10 lbs between August and December and then got a partial handle on it by increasing my running volume. Now I'm at maintenance... which would be fine if I wasn't obese haha.15
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Silentpadna wrote: »...says the CDC.
I would link it, but it was actually just a 15 second news radio story I heard on the way into the office today.
The CDC spokesperson cited the "fact" that 70% of the battle is in the diet, but Americans believe that exercise alone will do the trick.
This struck me for 2 reasons:
1. I've always said (guessed really based on my own experiences) that 80% of the battle was in the kitchen (diet). I guess this could be a small case of confirmation bias....
2. A vast majority of the "I Can't Lose Weight" posts start off with how much exercise the poster is doing, many times with no other information.
So, MFP peeps, how can we emphasize the importance of the CI side of the energy balance? You want to lose weight? You almost have to find a way to eat less. That can seem harsh, but seems true enough to me - and most of the veterans around here (of which I am not one).
Not sure if people exercise more, but if they do, it just goes to show that the average person has no clue how weight loss works. I see it at my gym too, I see many people doing cardio and they've been coming to the gym for years and yet they always look the same. Unless their goal was to maintain their weight, you can say it's pretty much a failure.13 -
You can't outrun a bad diet. That saying has been around for ages. Most of my exercise is running and I've gained ~10 lbs between August and December and then got a partial handle on it by increasing my running volume. Now I'm at maintenance... which would be fine if I wasn't obese haha.
Yep. Me too. I was training for a half-marathon back in November and once I'd completed it, I eased back on the running a little bit. But I didn't ease back on the eating. Boom! My weight went up. While I was doing the extra running I could get away with snacking on candy and chocolate. I've now cut down on the snacking and have started training for another half-marathon, and my weight has started to go down again.8 -
I think it also matters what people consider to be "exercise" and how they estimate their intensity doing it. I know a guy at our corporate gym who came in one day (it was cold) and walked onto the treadmill and kept his jacket, stocking cap and gloves on. Proceeded to "walk" (about 2mph) for about 10 minutes before leaving. I doubt very much whether this has any effect, but I'm sure if asked he would report it as "exercise". (Not saying that walking and moving around aren't important, but that can possibly skew what the report means...at least a little).
I have also observed the "gym wanderers". Those folks exercise, probably even with purpose, but without a plan. That was me for many years. I've done some "routines" thinking it would spur weight loss, but my "plan" was no such thing - especially since I had no idea how much I was eating....
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I exercise the recommended amount, frequently more in the summer and if you want to count walks/yoga on rest days. But I also work a desk job and have been known to read whole books in one sitting or binge Netflix for a few hours.
I'm not consistently active outside of the exercise I purposefully do, and unless I try pretty hard with calorie restriction, my weight isn't going to go anywhere. However, my cardiovascular health and strength have improved immensely, so I can at least lug my fat *kitten* up a bunch of flights of stairs or run for a bus without a struggle. 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week isn't going to help me or anyone else who is obese lose a significant amount of weight unless we consistently reduce food consumption.9 -
It does amaze me that people think I’ve lost all the 62+ lbs by exercising more. They see me taking walking breaks or headed to the gym at work and tell me how the walking and the gym has really shedded the pounds. I tell them it’s been 1 year since I started weight loss and I really watch the calories. The walking and gym time doesn’t shed the weight. When I tell them I eat about 1650 calories a day PLUS exercise an hour plus most every day they tell me how much they love food or desserts and can’t do that.
The exercise does make me feel better and keeps depression away. I also exercise to be able to eat about 300 calories more a day. I exercise for about an hour a day and get only 300 - 350 extra calories. That’s not enough calories to shed a lot of weight.18 -
Someone posted an article in the maintenance forum yesterday about Biggest Losers successfully/failing to maintain their weight loss. While I feel the article had the basic right idea, it REALLY annoyed me how much emphasis they placed on how much exercise the previous contestants had each day and how that correlated to them keeping the weight off. Now, given, that was the point of the article, but it just spreads the same mentality that you can exercise the weight away and diet taking a back seat.
The main point that ticked me was they sited one contestant who was able to maintain his weight loss for 7 years or so by exercising for 2.5 hours everyday. But then it lead to multiple injuries which prevented him from keeping his "exhausting schedule" of exercise, so he gained all but 30 lbs back and that was only because he "ATE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE" Seriously? I'm sorry but no one gets back to 350lbs eating "as little as possible", exercise or not. Basically sending the message that unless you can devote 2.5hrs of exercise a day everyday, you're doomed to remain obese. SMH...I stopped reading after that lol24 -
I am constantly amazed on this site by the amount of calories people "claim" to have burned by exercise. I'm sorry, but most people (especially older women) are not burning 1000 calories from an hour and half of exercise. I went on a 100 mile hike in New Mexico, and I didn't lose a pound, even when hiking 10 plus miles a day with a 45 pack on my back.18
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That's kind of the point of my original post. When it was on the news, the reporters read the report with surprise in their voices.
Most of the comments that come my way about my weight loss are regarding exercise. When I mention calories, eyes glaze over....8 -
I don't know what the comparison date was, but if we are going back significant years, I don't think Americans exercise more is true. We may go to the gym more or do things we call "working out" more, but we are likely far less active in our daily lives (on average) even so.
Re CI vs CO, it doesn't make sense to say one side is more important or 80% or whatever. The problem is that if you don't do something (it doesn't have to be counting calories) to control calories in, and if you live in an environment like ours where eating is super easy and cheap, then increasing exercise may just result in eating more. Especially since many think exercise burns more calories than it does and will see that as an excuse to eat more indulgently.
I've lost weight just by increasing exercise, but it happened when my eating was already under control, so I didn't start eating more without realizing it. And I was truly exercising quite a lot (tri training)--many of the studies showing exercise does not help do things like taking someone out of shape and having them walk on a treadmill for an hour, which is both boring (people feel like it was more work than it was, since they hated it, and think they deserve a reward, food) and doesn't burn many calories.13 -
Tblackdogs wrote: »I am constantly amazed on this site by the amount of calories people "claim" to have burned by exercise. I'm sorry, but most people (especially older women) are not burning 1000 calories from an hour and half of exercise. I went on a 100 mile hike in New Mexico, and I didn't lose a pound, even when hiking 10 plus miles a day with a 45 pack on my back.
I have a friend (on a different account) who logs "1,063 calories doing 56 minutes of Elliptical Trainer" once or twice a week. Always the same calories, always the same minutes. I've thought so many times about saying something, for well intentioned-wanting to help reasons, but have decided most people don't like to be corrected on these things and it'd fall on deaf ears anyway...10 -
I'd rather not *kitten* on the people who don't fit into my mold of weight loss perfection... since I use to be that person. People can find out how to lose weight when they research and trial/error. There's no need for MFP people to change what they post or how they post. The people here are super knowledgeable and if anyone who's looking for answers can find them pretty easily on here if they're willing to learn. You can't force people to learn though.8
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lemurcat12 wrote: »
I've lost weight just by increasing exercise, but it happened when my eating was already under control, so I didn't start eating more without realizing it. And I was truly exercising quite a lot (tri training)--many of the studies showing exercise does not help do things like taking someone out of shape and having them walk on a treadmill for an hour, which is both boring (people feel like it was more work than it was, since they hated it, and think they deserve a reward, food) and doesn't burn many calories.
These are important points. Cases like yours and those of us who have our eating under control already are not representative of the general population. I'm absolutely positive, for example, that if I keep eating what I'm eating and add 5K steps to my day, I will lose weight. But if I was gaining weight before adding those steps (or not in control of what I was eating), then those steps my only slow my gain and not actually make me lose weight. I think the general population, especially those who have trouble controlling their weight, has no idea how much they are eating. And they do tend to add to the CI when they've added to their CO, probably more on the CI than they think and less CO than they think.
Ultimately it comes down the uninformed consensus that working out 3-4 hours a day will result in the body of a fitness model no matter what.6 -
burn more than you take in. not rocket science.2
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ITUSGirl51 wrote: »It does amaze me that people think I’ve lost all the 62+ lbs by exercising more.
I get this ALL the time. People think I'm losing weight because I walk a lot. I walk a lot so I can eat a little more.
One realization I've had while losing weight is how FEW calories exercise really burns. I used to go to the gym for half an hour and think that I "deserved" to eat a big meal from a fast food restaurant plus have ice cream for dessert because I had burned all those calories. In reality, I probably didn't even burn enough to cover half the ice cream, much less the meal I was eating. This CDC finding just proves that our perception is off when it comes to exercise.17 -
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Not shocking...I've been seeing this at the gym for years.6
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By exercising more, people are getting heavier. BMI makes no distinction between muscle mass and fat, so “obesity” (and by that they nearly always mean “overweight or above”) goes up.
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By exercising more, people are getting heavier. BMI makes no distinction between muscle mass and fat, so “obesity” (and by that they nearly always mean “overweight or above”) goes up.
Nah, brosky. Not in this instance. VERY muscle heavy, athletic people are more likely to be "overweight" on BMI but definitely not obese.22 -
I find it incredibly amazing how little people think of the food they put in their bodies (not that I am the god of health conscious eating at all times) However, i am gluten intolerant and that caused quite the shift in lifestyle. I found that mood, weight loss, and over all health were very severely and negatively impacted by certain foods i was eating.
I have a friend who has been having a really hard time with weight gain and chronic fatigue. They will spend hundreds on going to the doctor to run tests but will not do an elimination diet because giving up wine, bread, and cheese is basically the end of the world. I think America has a really toxic love affair with food that no amount of exercise is going to fix.
**Also, not saying everyone has an allergy/intolerance, but gut health is sooo important and i do think there is a correlation.13 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I don't know what the comparison date was, but if we are going back significant years, I don't think Americans exercise more is true. We may go to the gym more or do things we call "working out" more, but we are likely far less active in our daily lives (on average) even so.
Re CI vs CO, it doesn't make sense to say one side is more important or 80% or whatever. The problem is that if you don't do something (it doesn't have to be counting calories) to control calories in, and if you live in an environment like ours where eating is super easy and cheap, then increasing exercise may just result in eating more. Especially since many think exercise burns more calories than it does and will see that as an excuse to eat more indulgently.
I've lost weight just by increasing exercise, but it happened when my eating was already under control, so I didn't start eating more without realizing it. And I was truly exercising quite a lot (tri training)--many of the studies showing exercise does not help do things like taking someone out of shape and having them walk on a treadmill for an hour, which is both boring (people feel like it was more work than it was, since they hated it, and think they deserve a reward, food) and doesn't burn many calories.
It looks like the report is comparing numbers from Jan-Sept 2017 back to 1997. Given that time frame, it actually doesn't surprise me that physical activity would be up. I'd be curious specifically how many more people work out at home given the rise of free or inexpensive (at least compared to gym membership) online services.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/EarlyRelease201803.pdf
ETA: The charts for "leisure-time physical activity" start on page 43 and show a distinct jump for people meeting the aerobic activity recommendation starting in 2009 with a general upward trend since then. The response for meeting aerobic plus strength recommendations is on page 46 and shows a general upward trend since 1997, although overall numbers are lower.4 -
In complete agreement with the general consensus here - weight loss primarily occurs in the kitchen, not in the gym. I lost over 130 pounds simply by eating fewer calories than I burned combined with regular light exercise; however, I regained nearly half back by failing to manage my food intake even while continuing to remain active. In order to achieve weight loss, it is imperative I utilize portion control and log what I eat.
I take all "calories burned" readings provided by MFP, exercise equipment or fitness apps I use with a grain of salt. I rarely, if ever, eat back exercise calories unless I've really pushed myself outside a typical workout.7 -
The percentages thing needs to stop because that's what leads people to think if they increase exercise, they can offset their poor diet. It's very easy to eat your way out of any deficit exercise creates if you don't know how calories work. Exercise, diet, etc. That's all important criteria for helping a person be their healthiest. But weight loss is 100% calories and if a person doesn't have an understanding of calories, no amount of exercise is going to matter. And yeah, I've had people demand to know what workout I'm doing when they see I've lost weight and I tell them right up front that I don't exercise to lose weight. I eat the appropriate amount of calories to lose weight.8
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MegaMooseEsq wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I don't know what the comparison date was, but if we are going back significant years, I don't think Americans exercise more is true. We may go to the gym more or do things we call "working out" more, but we are likely far less active in our daily lives (on average) even so.
Re CI vs CO, it doesn't make sense to say one side is more important or 80% or whatever. The problem is that if you don't do something (it doesn't have to be counting calories) to control calories in, and if you live in an environment like ours where eating is super easy and cheap, then increasing exercise may just result in eating more. Especially since many think exercise burns more calories than it does and will see that as an excuse to eat more indulgently.
I've lost weight just by increasing exercise, but it happened when my eating was already under control, so I didn't start eating more without realizing it. And I was truly exercising quite a lot (tri training)--many of the studies showing exercise does not help do things like taking someone out of shape and having them walk on a treadmill for an hour, which is both boring (people feel like it was more work than it was, since they hated it, and think they deserve a reward, food) and doesn't burn many calories.
It looks like the report is comparing numbers from Jan-Sept 2017 back to 1997. Given that time frame, it actually doesn't surprise me that physical activity would be up. I'd be curious specifically how many more people work out at home given the rise of free or inexpensive (at least compared to gym membership) online services.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/EarlyRelease201803.pdf
ETA: The charts for "leisure-time physical activity" start on page 43 and show a distinct jump for people meeting the aerobic activity recommendation starting in 2009 with a general upward trend since then. The response for meeting aerobic plus strength recommendations is on page 46 and shows a general upward trend since 1997, although overall numbers are lower.
Just have to take into consideration the CDC recommendation sets a pretty low bar. Without looking believe it's 30 minutes of walking 5 days a week and a couple strength training sessions.
Not enough to burn off a couple 20 oz pops a day3 -
I see this thinking every day at work. My co-workers are always on fitness challenges, counting steps, thats all they talk about. And they don’t lose weight. I don’t participate in their challenges. I count calories (I never talk about it at work). I have lost over 60 pounds. Most people just don’t seem to get it that it’s mostly about what you eat.9
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I had no idea that exercise alone would not help me lose weight. When I first started on my journey I figured I could cut out soda and hit the gym every day and that would be enough. After a couple of weeks of no change I hired a personal trainer to show me the "real" exercises that would make me lose weight. He had me track my food on here for a few days. He looked at my diary and very frankly said "you'll never get what you want if you continue to eat this way. It does not matter what we do here. You'll feel better working out but you absolutely will not get the results you're looking for. You need the calorie deficit to lose." It was the big ah ha moment for me and I felt so stupid for not understanding!24
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The first thing my trainer usually asks me when he sees me is, "how's your nutrition?"12
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Packerjohn wrote: »MegaMooseEsq wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I don't know what the comparison date was, but if we are going back significant years, I don't think Americans exercise more is true. We may go to the gym more or do things we call "working out" more, but we are likely far less active in our daily lives (on average) even so.
Re CI vs CO, it doesn't make sense to say one side is more important or 80% or whatever. The problem is that if you don't do something (it doesn't have to be counting calories) to control calories in, and if you live in an environment like ours where eating is super easy and cheap, then increasing exercise may just result in eating more. Especially since many think exercise burns more calories than it does and will see that as an excuse to eat more indulgently.
I've lost weight just by increasing exercise, but it happened when my eating was already under control, so I didn't start eating more without realizing it. And I was truly exercising quite a lot (tri training)--many of the studies showing exercise does not help do things like taking someone out of shape and having them walk on a treadmill for an hour, which is both boring (people feel like it was more work than it was, since they hated it, and think they deserve a reward, food) and doesn't burn many calories.
It looks like the report is comparing numbers from Jan-Sept 2017 back to 1997. Given that time frame, it actually doesn't surprise me that physical activity would be up. I'd be curious specifically how many more people work out at home given the rise of free or inexpensive (at least compared to gym membership) online services.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/EarlyRelease201803.pdf
ETA: The charts for "leisure-time physical activity" start on page 43 and show a distinct jump for people meeting the aerobic activity recommendation starting in 2009 with a general upward trend since then. The response for meeting aerobic plus strength recommendations is on page 46 and shows a general upward trend since 1997, although overall numbers are lower.
Just have to take into consideration the CDC recommendation sets a pretty low bar. Without looking believe it's 30 minutes of walking 5 days a week and a couple strength training sessions.
Not enough to burn off a couple 20 oz pops a day
Sure, and I am in no way surprised at the lack of connection between meeting fitness guidelines and weight management. It's still good for other health-measures to meet a minimum exercise standard. I aimed for the CDC recommendation when I was first getting into exercising and even that low bar made a huge difference in how I felt. That said, the post I was responding to wasn't talking about the weight connection but was skeptical about whether Americans were actually exercising more.2 -
I did no exercising whatsoever when I lost my 80 lbs--diet only. It's all about food.6
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