Excerpt from below Pubmed study analysis:
Gaesser GA, Angadi SS. Obesity treatment: Weight loss versus increasing fitness and physical activity for reducing health risks. iScience. 2021 Sep 20;24(10):102995. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102995. PMID: 34755078; PMCID: PMC8560549.
- The mortality risk associated with obesity is largely attenuated or eliminated by moderate-to-high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) or physical activity (PA).
- Most cardiometabolic risk markers associated with obesity can be improved with exercise training independent of weight loss and by a magnitude similar to that observed with weight-loss programs
- Weight loss, even if intentional, is not consistently associated with lower mortality risk.
- Increases in CRF or PA are consistently associated with greater reductions in mortality risk than is intentional weight loss.
- Weight cycling is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes including increased mortality.
A lot of people, pursue dietary regimens with the goal of fat loss. And while many people are able to shed unwanted pounds, they often utilize restrictive and unsustainable diets to do so.
According to the authors of a recent narrative review [PMID:34755078] this represents a “weight futile cycle” in which the dieter wants to weigh less, attempts to lose weight, fails to reach or maintain their goal, becomes frustrated, stops trying, regains weight (sometimes more than they lost originally), wants to lose weight ?????, and the cycle continues.
The authors proposed an alternative, weight-neutral approach. They noted that, while it’s generally assumed that a high BMI increases mortality risk, the body of literature on the topic is mixed. Multiple meta-analyses suggest that high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and physical activity reduce or eliminate the association between a high BMI and mortality risk.
They also suggested that physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness reduce mortality to a greater extent than intentional weight loss and that intentional weight loss is not consistently associated with mortality risk. However, a more detailed look at the meta-analyses cited by the authors paints a different picture.
Nevertheless, achieving and maintaining weight loss is very difficult, and many people gain the weight back. Increasing cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity levels can make people decidedly healthier independent of weight loss. Weight-neutral interventions can be more sustainable for many individuals and can reduce the risk of adverse psychological consequences associated with intentional weight-loss interventions.
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