Can You Lose Weight Just by Exercise?

Can you lose weight just by exercise?  Well, the answer appears to be, it depends.
In an article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, "The Appetite Workout," Gretchen Reynolds reports on a study conducted by researchers at the University of Wyoming. The study was based upon a group of women who were asked to run or walk on one day and then rest on the next day.

The researchers found that those who ran did not consume as many calories as those who walked.  According to the article, the women who ran at a brisk pace consumed fewer calories because of certain hormones in the body that told them when they had eaten enough food.  On the other hand, those who walked, were more hungry because of an increase in the body of a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin was also increased in those who ran but apparently that increase was offset by the other hormones.

So what does this mean for you and me?  If you are seeking to lose weight, more strenuous and longer exercise will probably be probably be your best bet.  This may seem rather obvious, but many people think that walking alone may bring about weight loss and this study suggests that this may not be so. Now walking undoubtedly has many other health benefits, but weight loss may not be one of them.

For the complete article, see www.nytimes.com.