Each and every person makes thousands of decisions on a daily basis. How we come to the final conclusion is obviously complex and multi-factorial. There is currently one big “choice process” I feel needs an overhaul. Exercise as the cure all to food choices.
First of all if you read my bio or other posts you know I’m a huge fitness fan. In fact I co-own a Classical Pilates studio and have all sorts of exercise certifications. So yes a bona fide exercise geek.
That said, I firmly believe one cannot exercise away poor food choices. I think it’s been a huge disservice (read disaster) that individuals are regularly encouraged to “eat less, exercise more.” Specifically using this dogma as the “cure” for our nation’s weight issues.
First and foremost let me say I also don’t believe there is a perfect weight. It is not about being skinny or wearing a size 0, it’s about being fit with energy at any age.
Here are my reasons why I think this dogma (eat less exercise more) is not only unproductive but dangerous.
- Forgoes the real issue
- Victimizes the individual
- Just not working
- Creates false illusions
- Promotes exercise for the wrong reasons
Let’s start with number 5. Personally I categorize exercise as organized routines to improve physical fitness, which is separate from general daily movement that is equally important. See post here.
Maintaining fitness levels is a key component of vibrant health. Just a few of the benefits are:
- Assists in heart health
- Enhances energy levels
- Promotes muscular and bone integrity
- Supports joint mobility
- Augments balance and stability
- Beneficial for diverse body systems, digestive, endocrine etc.
That’s a tiny sample of the advantages of preserving one’s fitness level at any age or exercise ability. Nowhere in that list is weight loss.
Number 4 creates false illusions. Ever been to the gym after Thanksgiving or on January 1? Seen the madness exhibited by those with New Year’s resolutions or a feeling of eating too much? It’s crazy.
The continual push that exercise is THE cure to overeating and/or eating the wrong foods is not helping individuals find a path to food normalcy. I feel a better approach is “eat real foods and move as much as possible.”
Just not working, number 3 on my list. While one can debate the pros and cons of any and every diet out there. One thing for sure is what we are doing as a nation is not working. Einstein was right, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
There is a strong correlation between two relevant theories, one that all calories are equal and two, eat less exercise more for weight loss. Due to the national obsession with counting calories, one assumes that it’s a question of pure mathematics. This forgoes the sensibility that we all have totally different genetic makeup, body types, insulin sensitivity, age, height, hormones, etc. and the list is endless.
Perfect example is the ridiculous calorie counter on a treadmill. How does a machine know “exactly” the amount of calories YOUR body and every other one who hops on there, will burn? It’s wishful thinking you are going to burn exactly the calories of the candy bar consumed prior to working out.
In Gary Taubes’ acclaimed Good Calories, Bad Calories, which entailed no less than 7 years of research, he provides strong scientific evidence that our nutritional path is flawed. In a nutshell (read the book!) he argues persuasively that it is not the number of calories we take in that are key to weight loss but the kind of calories.
Taubes is not alone in this thinking, Zoe Harcombe an obesity researcher in the UK fighting to demonstrate the unsubstantiated theory of calories and weight loss. Zoe states:
“I have a simple and reasonable request. I would like proof of this formula – that it holds exactly every single time – or I would like it to be banished from all dietary advice worldwide.”
Even mainstream medicine is picking up on the reality. Watch Indiana University Obesity Doctor Sarah Halberg’s TedX talk on “Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Starts with Ignoring the Guidelines.”
Plain and simple it’s just not working. Time to move on.
Victimizes the individual, number 2, probably the cruelest and meanest of everything connected with obesity. Whether you believe or not in the calorie theory blaming individuals for the size of their body is just wrong.
Let me digress here for one worksite wellness moment. Penalizing people for a number on a scale is one of the worst ideas anyone ever came up with. OK there I’ve said it. Who in their right mind can call this wellness?
If you don’t know what I mean by this, I’ll explain. There has been a trend in some worksite wellness programs to penalize (monetarily) some individuals if they do not meet specific weight goals. As Dr. Jon Robison perfectly describes it “Wellness or Else.” What if your stellar employee gets dinged for being a few pounds overweight, is that just insane or what?
It’s ideas like the above and our consistent thinking that if someone is overweight they must in turn be lazy and slothful. All of these examples are exactly why the exercise cure all mentality is dangerous. The sooner we can accept that fat accumulation is a complex issue and highly related to a hormonal dysfunction (insulin sensitivity) the more chance progress will be made.
And finally number 1; forgoes the real issue. Bottom line there is real food and there are “food-like substances.” Our focus should be on helping individuals learn the JOY of cooking, preparing and sharing meals with real food. Effort should be made to stop promoting that you can eat whatever you want as long as you exercise. It skirts the issue; one cannot exercise away poor food choices.
What can we do?
- Bring back home economics in schools across the nation
- Remove junk food and sugary drinks from schools and businesses
- Assist individuals and companies in seeing the economic & health value in real foods vs. food like substances
- Educate communities on the impact certain foods have on insulin sensitivity such as carbohydrates and sugar
- Stop promoting exercise as a panacea for poor food choices
Radical? No, sensible, just maybe!
