Eating More behind Weight Gain, Not lack of Exercise

If you think pumping iron vigorously at a gym or doing 100 Yoga postures daily is the best way to lose weight, think again. Instead watch what you are eating and cut calories. According to a paper published in the International Journal of Obesity, a balanced diet is instrumental in shedding that extra flab.

A Daily Mail report says people become obese due to too much eating not due to lack of exercise. John Speakman of Aberdeen University in Britain and his Dutch colleague, Speakman analyzed two decades of studies on energy expenditure and reached this conclusion.

Surprisingly, the data reveal that despite greater dependence on time saving tools, people today are not any less active than those of 20 years ago.

Contrary to earlier belief such as spending more time watching TV or taking care of few children are reasons behind weight gain, children driven to school have more time to spend running around in the playground while evening TV watching has replaced other sedentary activities such as reading and listening to the radio.

However, the researcher stressed that physical activity is good for the body in other ways and should be part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.