04/04/96 New Research on Diet and Exercise in Weight Management

New Research on Diet and Exercise in Weight Management

CHICAGO, April 4, 1996

TO: Health, fitness, medical and nutrition writers/producers/editors

WHAT: New research study on the role of exercise and diet, and exercise vs. diet in weight management. Three groups were studied, including one with diet modification, one with exercise modification and one with a combination of diet and exercise modification. Title: Comparison of 2-year weight loss trends in behavioral treatments of obesity: Diet, exercise and combination interventions

WHERE: April issue of the Journal of The American Dietetic Association, April 1996, Volume 96, Number 4, pages 342-346.

AUTHORS: Martha Skender, M.P.H., R.D.; G. Ken Goodrick, Ph.D.; Deborah Del Junco, Ph.D.; Rebecca Reeves, Dr.P.H., R.D.; Antonio Gotto, Jr., M.D.; and, John Foreyt, Ph.D., all of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and Linda Darnell, Ph.D., of University of Texas, Galvestion.

OVERVIEW: A research study on 127 men and women who were at least 14 kg (30.8 lbs.) overweight were recruited from an urban community and assigned randomly to experimental design groups to examine the effects of three cognitive-behavioral weight control interventions for adults - diet only, exercise only, and thirdly, a combination of diet and exercise.

The two-year study results suggest that dieting is associated with weight loss followed by regain after treatment ends, whereas exercise alone produces smaller weight losses but better maintenance.