Is it safe to say that we’ve all read (or at least heard about) the controversial TIME article, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin,” by John Cloud? If you still haven’t read it, you may want to do so. If you aren’t up to reading this morning, I’ve taken a few key excerpts to help you put it all together.
In summary (all text was pulled directly from the article):
- “In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless,” says Eric Ravussin, chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher.
- The basic problem is that while it’s true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn’t necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.
- According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that.
- After we exercise, we often crave sugary calories like those in muffins or in “sports” drinks like Gatorade. A standard 20-oz. bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. If you’re hot and thirsty after a 20-minute run in summer heat, it’s easy to guzzle that bottle in 20 seconds, in which case the caloric expenditure and the caloric intake are probably a wash. From a weight-loss perspective, you would have been better off sitting on the sofa knitting.
- Another British study, this one from the University of Exeter, found that kids who regularly move in short bursts — running to catch a ball, racing up and down stairs to collect toys — are just as healthy as kids who participate in sports that require vigorous, sustained exercise.
The article really is worth reading in its entirety – there are some very interesting studies, supported by qualitative (and quantitative) data that are really worth noting. If I could have, I would have copied and pasted the entire thing, so please take some time to read it – it’s worth it, I promise 
My thoughts – OK, so if you are looking to JUST lose weight, the author is correct, exercise probably isn’t the only way to do it. We know by now that diet is 80-90% of the battle, so there is some truth in what Cloud is saying. His argument is backed with research that is pretty hard to argue with, as all of it is grounded with scientific data and studies.
Does that mean there is no place for exercise? That it’s a waste of time? ABSOLUTELY NOT. And Cloud does note that exercise brings many other benefits to our lives other than weight loss. Exercise works our heart and helps with blood pressure, exercise reduces bad levels of high cholesterol and helps prevent disease. Most importantly (to me!), exercise reduces stress and raises our levels of endorphins, contributing to better moods and overall states of well-being. I love exercise because of the feeling I get AFTER my workout – I love knowing that I worked it out at the gym to better myself and shake out some of that bottled stress.
In short, conquer your eating habits to lose the extra weight. Then incorporate exercise as a healthy practice to better your health and well-being.
Image credit - Time Magazine
I bring this topic to the table today because I’d love you hear your reactions to this article and open the floor to conversation. Please leave your thoughts in the comments – GO, DISCUSS! I’ll be sure to add in my thoughts, too!
I really needed to read this article this morning. I have been having a terrible time finding work out motivation lately as my job is really busy right now and frankly I’m exhausted beyond imagination. My eating habits amazingly, have stayed pretty decent and the weight isn’t piling back on like I’ve let it do in the past. However, in the back of my mind there is a constant nagging that if I don’t work out I’m going to gain back all my weight and I constantly feel guilty for missing my work outs which I really do love and miss. I’ve always believed that our self-conscience effects our weight and if I believe not going to the gym alone is going to cause me to gain 5lbs, I will probably gain 5lbs. If that makes sense…ok, I’m rambling. Anyhoo doodle, I enjoyed the article and your take on it.
Great response! I feel the same way. I used to work out to “burn calories” so that I could eat more. But then I’d end up in a vicious cycle where exercise wasn’t fun…it was an obligation. And if I didn’t workout, I’d skip meals or say no to a tasty dessert even if it was a special treat.
Now, I do a variety of activity (running, elliptical, pilates, yoga, bike rides, walks…) and do it for a ton of reasons (more energy, a better mood, time with friends, time alone, flexibility, strength…). While the article sure makes good points and I think reminds us that moderation and an overall healthy lifestyle are key, exercise definitely has a place in a balanced life.
Grrr. When I first read that article it made me so mad. I get the point that it’s trying to get across, and I agree that nutrition is super important and sometimes we’re delusional about how much we can eat without gaining weight when we exercise, but I bet SO MANY PEOPLE are going to use it as an excuse to not exercise. As if we needed another one.
i think its all in balance! but everyone is different so who knows
This is exactly the opposite message we need to be sending to Americans today. For every study saying that exercise doesn’t help you lose weight, I bet there are five that say it does. In addition, as you point out, exercise isn’t only for losing weight. It’s for getting — and staying — healthy, which involves more than just your weight and waist size. Can you imagine how many people are going to read this article and write off exercise now? I give it two thumbs down.
Thanks for this post. While exercise is not the number one factor in losing weight (as you mentioned, our diet is the key to that) exercise is good for the mind and spirit, and I believe that this in turn helps the body stay happy and healthy.
i have read this article quite a few times — and it definitely raises some interesting points.. all in all i don’t like that in some ways it’s disregarding exercise as an important aspect of a healthy life – but i do agree that it can’t be used as the sole method of losing weight …hm mixed emotions on this baby.
I think those that don’t exercise end up less toned and having a greater breakdown of muscle in their bodies, so regular strength training can be good to help combat this…and the person will look more fit than someone who lost weight with diet alone.
Hi Shannon,
First-time commenter here. I love your site! Thanks for passing along this artcile; I found it really interested, and actually I hadn’t seen or heard about it yet.
I agree with the comments above about the article possibly deterring readers from exercise, but I feel it left out an important point: any effective weight loss program should include some form of calorie/Points/carb counting, or be comprised of a very specific diet such as Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. From my experience, weight loss is nearly impossible if you don’t keep track of your calories. So while exercise could potentially stimulate eating, one should be keeping track of those calories anyway!
Also, I’ve recently read that keeping a detailed food journal is the most effective way to lose and keep off weight. I truly agree with your thought above, that food intake must be controlled for weight loss; and exercise is essentially for one’s general healthy lifestyle.
Great post!
Not everyone who exercises goes and eats a huge serving of fries or a doughnut afterwards. And those people are the ones who are losing the weight.
The whole point is to combine exercise AND healthy eating. You can’t expect to lose weight or become healthier by just doing one or the other. They work together. So yes, the article is correct in saying that working out for an hour and then eating a bunch of junk won’t lead to weight loss… of course it won’t! Don’t kill yourself for hours on an elliptical but this shouldn’t be an excuse not to exercise. MOVE… and don’t eat crap!
Great comments, everyone! Thanks so much for keeping the conversation moving.
I totally agree with what everyone is saying and also worry people will use this as an easy excuse not to exercise.
Like all articles and studies out there, we should still focus on what works best for us – we are all unique in our healthy habits, but there is a place in EVERYONE’S life for exercise!
I am glad that the author did note the importance of exercise as it pertains to other factors, etc.
I just hope people don’t just ‘hear what they want to hear’ and use this as an excuse.
I wrote about this as well actually, ha. I agree with you. I think this article is a good example of why it really doesn’t work to simply just be on the latest diet or only work out for a month at the beginning of the year when you vow to start exercising. Instead, in order to be healthy and to maintain weight loss it’s about a way of life and a mentality to be active and eat nutritious foods.
Great post!! A well put reponse. Plus, I’d just like to add that if you’re trying to get a better body diet alone won’t get rid of fat! You actually have to USE those muscles in order to get toned.
I read that article yesterday, and thought it was really good! I think people who read up on exercise and nutrition know diet is 80 – 90% of how you look.
Unfortunately SO many people still think they can eat whatever they want because they walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes.
What’s amazing is how most people REALLY overestimate the calories they’ve burned and underestimate the calories they consume.
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I have been having problems getting motivated to exercise and I’ve been exercising for years! The problem is that I’ve always exercised to burn calories which left me so tired, I’d go home and not feel like doing anything after I had exercised. It has affected my frame of mind. That’s NOT the point of exercising. The guy who wrote the article made some very valid points and I feel the take home message is that exercise should not be to solely control weight. Exercise should also be done for enjoyment and to make you feel good. I think that the new guidelines for exercising “on most days for 30 minutes” is totally unreasonable and unobtainable for the majority of people who have other things to do with their lives beside exercise!!!!!
The Times article is disgusting. It is sending the opposite message to everyone. I love the spin that Times puts on exercise and why we could basically live without it. I am a personal trainer. I have a degree in Exercise Physiology. My information comes from research, not opinion. The Times should do their research. America is overweight and overfat because we don’t shut our mouths and we dont move. Hundreds of years ago we had to hunt our food and walk miles to get a drink of water. Now we walk a foot to our car, drive 3 blocks and pull up to eat fast food! Our diet does not consist of actual food and we do nothing but sit down. I work many hours and still have time to exercise as well as spend time with family. Why don’t you?? My clients are lawyers, doctors, therapists…why do they have time to exercise and relax while spending time with family?
We are lazy and are breeding lazy, malnourished, overweight children. We are developing more cancer, diabetes and other thyroid issues. All because of our own fault.
Thanks to the NY Times, we can all be discouraged from exercise. =)
[...] My reaction to the TIME article, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” [...]
[...] Recall the controversial TIME article that hit newsstands this past year. It was only a matter of time before the inter-tubes lit up with blog posts, tweets and articles refuting the content. It was like the “healthy living” industry’s hot topic — if we had an US Weekly in the healthy living world, it would have made the front cover. Everyone had an opinion. [...]