LAST Friday's report ("Exercise or diet: Which will help you lose weight?") suggested that poor diet, rather than obesity per se, is linked to poor health.
Exercise Is Medicine Singapore agrees that a healthy weight alone does not equate to good health, and that "fat and fit" may result in better health outcomes than "thin and unfit".
While the quote by London cardiologist Aseem Malhotra that "an obese person does not need to do one iota of exercise to lose weight; he just needs to eat less" is not untrue, it suggests that an obese person needs to focus only on weight loss. This misses the bigger picture.
Ample studies have shown that although dietary restriction alone contributes to weight loss more than physical activity alone, a combination of both yields superior weight loss results compared with just dieting. Furthermore, fitness and regular exercise are key success factors in preventing weight regain.
The benefits of exercise on health outcomes in obese people (for example, aerobic fitness, strength, functional capacity, lowered risk of fall, increased insulin sensitivity, lowered blood pressure, stronger bones) extend far beyond the absolute weight loss, and must not be downplayed or neglected.
It is indeed foolish to think that one can "outrun a bad diet".
A healthy diet is essential, and this needs to be supplemented by regular physical activity and increased daily activities, to achieve the best results.
Ivy Lim (Dr)
Director for Research
Exercise Is Medicine Singapore
Forum Note: Exercise Is Medicine Singapore is a not-for-profit group dedicated to making physical activity and exercise a standard part of preventing and treating diseases.
