Want to live your healthiest life and stick around for years to come? Most of us do, but we may have been going about it all wrong. According to new research, exercising more and improving fitness is more effective than dieting when it comes to getting healthy and living a long life.
In a new review of several studies, researchers find “a weight-centric approach” to obesity treatment and prevention has been “largely ineffective” and they recommend people focus on working out, not shedding pounds. After analyzing the previous research, study authors conclude that when it comes to getting healthy and cutting the risk of dying early, exercise is the key. They explain that being thin shouldn’t be the ultimate goal and that using a “weight-neutral approach” for health issues caused by obesity would also cut the health risks associated with yo-yo dieting.
“We would like people to know that fat can be fit and that fit and healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes,” explains researcher Professor Glenn Gaesser. “We’re not necessarily against weight loss; we just think that it shouldn’t be the primary criterion for judging the success of a lifestyle intervention program.”
Source: Sky News