Exercise and Weight Loss

● A common view is that exercise is a hopeless way to try to lose weight. For, as is pointed out, to lose just one pound one would have to walk thirty-five miles or more. This is true. But this does not mean that all the walking must be done in one day. It is unlikely that the thousands of extra food calories represented by one pound of body fat were consumed in one day, or even in two or three days. By walking about one extra mile a day, or close to 400 extra miles a year, a person will burn up ten pounds of body fat annually if food intake is not increased.

And, contrary to what one may believe, such moderate physical exercise does not increase one’s appetite much. In fact, studies and experiments with man and animals repeatedly have shown that those who exercise moderately actually eat less than others.