Dieting, weight & exercise. Finding a healthy balance

We’ve all heard (and may have offered) the advice: If you want to lose weight, simply eat a little less and exercise a little more. But if eating less and  exercising more is so “simple,” why are we still dealing with an obesity epidemic? Do we need to rethink our messages? This talk will focus on dieting and exercise myths that perpetuate difficulty with weight reduction: Myth 1: The more you exercise, the more fat you will lose. False. The more you exercise, the more likely you are to compensate with reduced activity the rest of the day. Dieters need to become more aware of their 24-hour energy expenditure, not just the time spent exercising. Myth 2: To lose 0.5 kg body fat per week, a dieter needs to reduce food intake by 2 MJ (500 kcal) per day. False. The number of MJ that contributes to fat loss depends on how much fat the person has to lose, with an obese person losing fat faster than a lean person. While a 2-MJ per day deficit may be a standard weight reduction prescription, would a smaller deficit be more sustainable, hence more successful? The session will conclude with information about gastric bypass athletes. An estimated 6% of gastric bypass patients become highly active and train for marathons, triathlons, and other endurance events. As health professionals, we need to be aware of this emerging clientele, understand their sports nutrition issues, and help them stay out of the medical tents.