“Diet is the best explanation for weight loss,” says EPI's Andrea Kriska, “Physical activity is the best for weight maintenance." Colleague Bonny Rockette-Wagner adds, "Physical activity is important for people who are obese, independent of the weight loss. It has effects on reducing risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes."
PITTSBURGH QUARTERLY — Obesity’s causes are complex, and battling the disease is complicated by stigma and a history of treating the disease as simply a matter of willpower. Health plans have been slow to cover treatment. And the diet industry can influence how people treat obesity on their own.
But as obesity becomes better understood, a broader spectrum of treatment is emerging, ranging from diet and exercise regimens to cognitive behavioral therapies and surgery, in cities with advanced health networks, such as Pittsburgh, with its medical school and two major health systems. Integrative approaches are also emerging that feature diverse therapies and long-term follow-up care. Part of that evolution is shifting the focus from the numbers on the scale to the dangers they portend.
Lifestyle interventions vary, but the gold standard is considered to be the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a public-private initiative to curb type 2 diabetes that includes promoting a healthy diet and exercise with the support of a coach. Studies suggest it can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent, and contribute to weight loss and greater physical activity.
The combination of diet and exercise is critical. Each plays a different role in reducing the health risks imposed by obesity. “Diet is the best explanation for weight loss,” said Andrea Kriska, professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. “Physical activity is the best for weight maintenance.” Studies suggest, for example, that physical activity alone doesn’t lead to much weight loss. Its value lies elsewhere, particularly when people dealing with obesity hit the National DPP goal of engaging in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, such as brisk walking.
“Physical activity is important for people who are obese, independent of the weight loss,” said Bonny Rockette-Wagner, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. “It has effects on reducing risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”
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2/16/2021