Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Discussed Weight Loss Misconceptions
Body weight is not a simple matter of “energy in minus energy out,” writes endocrinologist Hermann Borg, M.D., in the winter issue of in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. Thus, exercise programs do not work as the main strategy for weight loss.
Dr. Borg debunks the “Paleo myth” that the hunter-gatherer lifestyle in the Paleolithic era was optimal for human health. Isolated people who still live in a similar way, such as the Hadza tribe in Africa, are slim because they do not overeat. Although they are physically very active, their energy expenditure is not different from 21st century city dwellers, because of the body’s mechanisms for constraining energy expenditure. The Hadzas burn the same number of calories as Americans: they are more active but have a lower basal metabolic rate and lower non-exercise activity thermogenesis.
Beliefs about the Paleo diet being low in simple sugars may be erroneous, Dr. Borg writes. Hunter-gatherers may consume more than one or two liters of honey per day.
Although its effect on obesity is modest, exercise has many health benefits, which Dr. Borg explains. Moderate exercise increases insulin sensitivity, helps prevent cardiovascular disease, improves executive function, and decreases the risk of certain cancers.
He also details the risks of excessive exercise, including the Alzheimer dementia paradox and the elite athlete paradox.
“Despite all the benefits of exercise, one cannot outrun the bad diet,” Dr. Borg concludes. “Diet and exercise are different tools for different jobs.”
The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.
