Effect of Walking on Weight Loss
Walking & Weight Loss Study Aim
Exercise is the cornerstone of behavioral weight loss programs. The total
volume of exercise needed to both promote weight loss and elicit health
benefits has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of this study
was to examine the effects of two different volumes of walking 'metabolic
fitness' exercise prescriptions, in combination with a low-fat, ad libitum
diet (LFAL) on weight loss and additional modifiable health-related variables
(HRV) in an ethnically diverse sample of overweight premenopausal women.
Walking & Weight Loss Study Subjects
A mixed racial sample (predominantly Hispanic) of 56 subjects completed
the 12-week program.
Walking & Weight Loss Study Measurements
Various body weight, body composition and fat distribution variables,
dietary intake and additional HRV such as blood lipids, blood pressure
and an estimate of cardio respiratory fitness at baseline and after 3
months.
Walking & Weight Loss Study Results
All groups showed similar and significant declines in body weight, percentage
body fat, BMI, WHR, fat mass, fat-free mass and diastolic blood pressure
following the program. In addition, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol
and the TC:HDL ratio displayed a significant time effect. Significant
interactions were found for waist circumference, sagittal diameter, estimated
VO2max and LDL-C, with both exercise groups showing similar and significantly
greater improvements than DO. Significant interactions were also observed
for several dietary variables.
Walking & Weight Loss Study Conclusion
Our study showed no dose-response effect of walking exercise on weight
loss over diet alone. Both lower and higher volume metabolic fitness prescriptions
resulted in similar and significant beneficial changes in several HRV.
This data suggests that 30 minutes of walking on most days of the week
may be as beneficial as 60 minutes (in combination with diet) in promoting
numerous additional healthful outcomes over diet alone following a 12
week weight loss program.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
(2002)
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