Daniel Priestley

When you walk 150 minutes a week, which is what, 20 minutes a day of walking, which is about a mile, a mile a day, you're not going to lose much weight. You're basically burning about 50 calories a day doing that. That's a piddling amount of calories compared to drinking a glass of orange juice.

So surprise, surprise, those kinds of studies show that those doses of physical activity are not very effective for weight loss. However, plenty of rigorous, controlled studies that look at higher doses of physical activity, 300 minutes a week or more, find that they are effective for helping people lose weight, but not fast and not large quantities.

So surprise, surprise, those kinds of studies show that those doses of physical activity are not very effective for weight loss. However, plenty of rigorous, controlled studies that look at higher doses of physical activity, 300 minutes a week or more, find that they are effective for helping people lose weight, but not fast and not large quantities.

So you're never going to lose a lot of weight really fast by exercising. It's just not going to happen. Because a cheeseburger has, what, 800, 900 calories. You have to run 15 kilometers to burn the same number of calories. You're going to be hungry afterwards too, so you're going to make some of that back. You have compensation. So physical activity is actually, there's just no way around it.

So you're never going to lose a lot of weight really fast by exercising. It's just not going to happen. Because a cheeseburger has, what, 800, 900 calories. You have to run 15 kilometers to burn the same number of calories. You're going to be hungry afterwards too, so you're going to make some of that back. You have compensation. So physical activity is actually, there's just no way around it.

You have to be a flat earther not to argue this way. But physical activity can help you lose weight, but it's not going to help you lose a lot of weight fast and not at the low doses that often are prescribed.

You have to be a flat earther not to argue this way. But physical activity can help you lose weight, but it's not going to help you lose a lot of weight fast and not at the low doses that often are prescribed.

But the one thing that we do agree on, and I think this would not be controversial, is that physical activity is really important for helping people prevent themselves from gaining weight or after a diet from regaining weight. And there are many, many studies which show this. One of my favorite was a study that was done in Boston on policemen.

But the one thing that we do agree on, and I think this would not be controversial, is that physical activity is really important for helping people prevent themselves from gaining weight or after a diet from regaining weight. And there are many, many studies which show this. One of my favorite was a study that was done in Boston on policemen.

Policemen have a reputation for having too many donuts and being overweight. And Boston is no exception. So they did this great study at Boston University right across the river. where they got a bunch of policemen on a diet, a really severe diet. The policemen all lost weight, but some of the policemen had to diet and exercise, some just dieted alone.

Policemen have a reputation for having too many donuts and being overweight. And Boston is no exception. So they did this great study at Boston University right across the river. where they got a bunch of policemen on a diet, a really severe diet. The policemen all lost weight, but some of the policemen had to diet and exercise, some just dieted alone.

And as you might imagine, the ones who dieted plus exercise lost a little bit more weight, not a lot, just a little. And then they tracked them for months afterwards, because most people after a diet, their weight comes just crashing back. The policemen who kept exercising, even after the diet was over, and they went back to eating whatever the hell they wanted, donuts, whatever,

And as you might imagine, the ones who dieted plus exercise lost a little bit more weight, not a lot, just a little. And then they tracked them for months afterwards, because most people after a diet, their weight comes just crashing back. The policemen who kept exercising, even after the diet was over, and they went back to eating whatever the hell they wanted, donuts, whatever,

They're the ones who kept the weight off, but the ones who didn't exercise, the weight came crashing back. Another good example would be, have you ever seen the TV show The Biggest Loser?

They're the ones who kept the weight off, but the ones who didn't exercise, the weight came crashing back. Another good example would be, have you ever seen the TV show The Biggest Loser?

Yeah, so there's a crazy show, right? These people, you know, this is like totally unhealthy. They were confined to a ranch in Malibu and these people lost ridiculous amounts of weight. A guy named Kevin Hall at the National Institute of Health studied them for years afterwards and looked at, and most of them regained a lot of the weight that they lost.

Yeah, so there's a crazy show, right? These people, you know, this is like totally unhealthy. They were confined to a ranch in Malibu and these people lost ridiculous amounts of weight. A guy named Kevin Hall at the National Institute of Health studied them for years afterwards and looked at, and most of them regained a lot of the weight that they lost.

And there was one person on the show who did not. And that was the person who kept exercising. And that's just yet more than one data point. But there's lots and lots of evidence to show that physical activity, what its other important benefit when it comes to weight is preventing weight gain or weight regain. When we talk about dieting, we talk about exercise or diet, exercise or diet.

And there was one person on the show who did not. And that was the person who kept exercising. And that's just yet more than one data point. But there's lots and lots of evidence to show that physical activity, what its other important benefit when it comes to weight is preventing weight gain or weight regain. When we talk about dieting, we talk about exercise or diet, exercise or diet.

Like, why is it an or? I mean, why isn't it exercise and diet? Diet is, of course, the bedrock for weight loss. But exercise also plays an important role and should be part of the mix.