Exercise and Weight Control

The key to effective weight control is keeping energy intake (food) and activity energy output (physical activity) in balance. This is true at all ages for both sexes. When the calories consumed in food equal those used to meet the body’s needs, weight will remain about the same. When one eats more than this amount, one will put on fat unless physical activity is increased proportionately.

For years physicians have talked about the varying caloric needs of differing occupations and physical recreations. Yet in their attempts to lose excess fat, weight watchers have often concentrated on counting the calories in their diets and have neglected the role of exercise. For those who are too fat, increasing physical activity can be just as important as decreasing food intake.

Weight depends not only on how many calories are taken in during the day, but also on how many are used up in physical activity. The overlay fat person who merely cuts down his intake of food to lose weight will make slow progress since the number of calories needed to maintain the body is much smaller than most people think.

In fact, lack of exercise has been cited as the most important cause of the “creeping” obesity found in modern mechanized societies. Few occupations now require vigorous physical activity. Although there is more time available for recreation, many persons fail to fill this gap by choosing leisure time activities that give them exercise. Even among those who do exercise, their activity is often neither vigorous nor sustained.

Authorities point out that adding 30 minutes per day of moderate exercise to one’s schedule can result in a loss of about 25 pounds in one year, assuming food consumption remains constant. To put it another way—just one extra slice of bread a day—or a soft drink—or any other food item that contains about 100 calories—can add up to 10 extra pounds in a year if the amount of physical activity is not increased accordingly.

Recent studies seem to indicate that lack of physical activity is more often the cause of overweight than is overeating. These studies have compared the food intake and activity patterns of obese persons with those of normal weight. Several age levels—teenage, adults, and older persons—have been studied. In each instance the findings showed that the obese people did not consume any more calories than their normal weighted age-mate, but that they were very much less active.

The person who has a trim figure and wants to keep it should exercise regularly and eat a balanced, nutritious diet regularly and eat a balanced, nutritious diet which provides sufficient calories to make up for the energy expended. The thin individual who wishes to gain weight should exercise regularly and increase the number of calories he consumes until the desired weight is reached. The overweight person should decrease the food intake and step up the amount of physical activity. Since a large proportion of the U.S. population is overweight, the latter group is a matter of concern to those who are interested in the nation’s fitness and to many readers of this booklet.

Most people will exercise regularly only if it brings enjoyment and satisfaction. Walking, gardening, cycling, and swimming provide these values for some people. The lifetime sports such as tennis, bowling, golfing, badminton and archery satisfy the needs of many others and establish desirable exercise patterns that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Active team sports such as basketball, volleyball or softball furnish similar benefits for still others, particularly the younger age groups. Calisthenics or weight training are a bore to some, but a pleasure to those who practice them regularly. Recently jogging has become a club activity in a number of places. Whichever are fun and are most accessible on a regular basis will be most helpful.

The exercise should be sufficiently vigorous to use up the required number of calories, and to some degree, it must be sustained. To the extent possible, one should meet one’s needs for regular activity through sports and other forms of physical recreation that are enjoyable; otherwise the activity is likely to be abandoned or played only irregularly.

Exercising one a week yields only sore muscles; pick activities that can be done regularly. They needn’t be the same ones every day; in fact variety adds spice to an exercise schedule.  

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Category: Physical Education