IS EXERCISE THE KEY TO WEIGHT LOSS?

In the February issue of Scientific American, there was an article entitled, "The Exercise Paradox." Fascinating article written by anthropologist Herman Ponzer.

I was always under the impression (I'm sure a lot of my colleagues, as well) that the more exercise (especially high intensity exercise) one engages in, the more favorable effects on metabolism (in particular, the more calories we burn at rest).

This article 'disproves' this notion. Pontzer says that humans burn about the same number of calories regardless of activity level. He NOT once says that we shouldn't exercise. It obviously has numerous benefits--increased cardiovascular and immune system function, improving bone health, improved brain function, elevating mood, and the list goes on and on.

As I wrote in my review of literature, when I was at University of Massachusetts, in 1993, "Although it is true that the preferential fuel source during aerobic exercise is fat, dietary restriction provides a greater stimulus for weight loss than aerobic exercise ALONE." Obesity, in most cases, is a condition of taking in far too many calories than expenditure via exercise or activities of daily living (ADL's). Or as Pontzer says it, "All the evidence point toward obesity being a disease of gluttony rather sloth."
He goes on to say, "You can't outrun a bad diet."

For those scientific individuals that want to dig deeper into this subject , click on the link (YouTube Video). NOTE: It is presentation by the author himself (Herman Ponzer). The pertinent info relating to the above topic starts at around 7 minutes.
ENJOY!