Summary
Excess bodyweight and obesity are one of the most common problems facing adult men and women of modern industrialised societies. Obesity is associated with alterations in glucose tolerance and lipoprotein profiles, which produces an increased risk for coronary heart disease. Starvation and low-calorie diets under 500 kcal/day reduce bodyweight and fat, but serious life-threatening problems can develop. For these reasons, moderate caloric restrictions between 1000 and 1500 kcal/day have been shown to produce the most successful long term weight loss. Exercise conditioning without caloric restrictions has been shown to reduce bodyweight, primarily fat weight, and increase lean bodyweight. However, this occurs only when the energy expenditure is greatly elevated and the exercise sessions are long in duration. Well controlled multiple-group studies indicate that exercise combined with caloric restriction is the best method for bodyweight and fat reduction. Including exercise in the diet regimen increases cardiorespiratory functional capacity, decreases cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and helps to retard the loss of lean muscle mass. The diet and exercise prescription which produces the best and safest results includes a diet of approximately 1200 kcal/day and a physical activity programme of at least 3 days/week, 20 to 30 minutes in duration, and at a minimum intensity of 60% of maximum heart rate.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abraham S, Johnson CL. Prevalence of severe obesity in adults in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33: 364–369, 1980
American College of Sports Medicine. Position statement on proper and improper weight loss programs. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 8: 11–14, 1976
American College of Sports Medicine. Position statement on the recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining fitness in healthy adults. Medicine and Sciences in Sports and Exercise 10: vii–x, 1978
Anderson JT, et al. Cholesterol-lowering diets. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 62: 133–142, 1973
Beil V, et al. Triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism in primary hypertriglyceridemia. Arteriosclerosis 2: 44–57, 1982
Benoit FL, et al. Changes in body composition during weight reduction in obesity. Annals of Internal Medicine 63: 604, 1965
Bray GA. The energetics of obesity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 15: 32–40, 1983
Brown JB. Diets that lower blood cholesterol in men. In RJ Jones (Ed.) Atherosclerosis Proceedings of the Second International Symposium, pp. 426–436, Springer-Verlag, New York, 426-436, 1970
Brownell KD, Stunkard AJ. Differential changes in plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in obese men and women during weight reduction. Archives of Internal Medicine 141: 1142–1146, 1981
Buskirk ER, et al. Energy balance of obese patients during weight reduction: influence of diet and exercise. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 110: 918–940, 1963
Cahill Jr GF. Starvation in man. New England Journal of Medicine, 282: 668–675, 1970
Consolazio CF, et al. Metabolic aspects of acute starvation in normal humans (10 days). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 20: 672–683, 1967a
Consolazio CF, et al. Metabolic aspects of calorie restriction: hypohydration effects on body weight and blood parameters. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 21: 793–802, 1968a
Consolazio CF, et al. Metabolic aspects of calorie restriction: nitrogen and mineral balances and vitamin excretion. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 21: 803–812, 1968b
Consolazio CF, et al. Metabolic aspects of acute starvation in normal humans: performance and cardiovascular evaluation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 20: 684–693, 1967b
Duddleston AK, Bennion M. Effect of diet and/or exercise on obese college women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 56: 126–129, 1970
Epstein LH, Wing RR. Aerobic exercise and weight. Addictive Behaviors 5: 371–388, 1980
Garnett ES, et al. Gross fragmentation of cardiac myofibrils after therapeutic starvation for obesity. Lancet 2: 914–916, 1969
Goldman RF, et al. Changes in specific gravity and body fat in overweight female adolescents as a result of weight reduction. Annals of the New York Academy of Science 110: 913–917, 1963
Gordon T, et al. High density lipoprotein as a protective factor against coronary heart disease. American Journal of Medicine 62: 707–714, 1977
Grande F, et al. Water exchange in men on a restricted water intake and a low calorie carbohydrate diet accompanied by physical work. Journal of Applied Physiology 12: 202–210, 1958
Grundy SM, et al. Transport of very low density lipoprotein-triglycerides in varying degrees of obesity and hypertriglyceridemia. Journal of Clinical Investigation 63: 1274–1283, 1979
Gwinup G. Effect of exercise alone on weight of obese women. Archives of Internal Medicine 135: 676–680, 1975
Hagan RD, et al. The effects of aerobic conditioning and/or calorie restriction. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 18: 87–94, 1986a
Hagan RD, et al. Increases in serum lipid and lipoprotein levels with movement from the supine to standing position in adult men and women. Preventive Medicine 15: 18–27, 1986b
Hagan RD, et al. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol in relation to food consumption and running distance. Preventive Medicine 12: 287–295, 1983
Holloszy JO, Booth FW. Biochemical adaptation to endurance exercise in muscle. Annual Review of Physiology 38: 273–291, 1976
Kannel WB, Gordon T. Physiological and medical concomitants of obesity: the Framingham study. In Bray (Ed.) Obesity in America, NIH Publication No. 80-359, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1980
Kantor MA, et al. Exercise acutely increases high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and lipoprotein lipase activity in trained and untrained men. Metabolism 36: 188–192, 1987
Kemnitz JW. Body weight set point theory. In Contemporary nutrition, General Mills Inc., Minnesota, 1985
Kesaniemi YA, Grundy SM. Increased low density lipoprotein production associated with obesity. Arteriosclerosis 3: 170–177, 1983
Keys A, et al. (Eds). The biology of human starvation, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1950
Kollias J, et al. Cardiorespiratory responses of young overweight women to ergometry following modest weight reduction. Archives of Environmental Health 27: 61–64, 1973
Lampman RM, et al. Type IV hyperlipoproteinemia: effects of a caloric restricted type IV diet versus physical training plus isocaloric type IV diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33: 1233–1243, 1980
LaRosa JC, et al. Effects of high protein, low carbohydrate dieting on plasma lipoproteins and body weight. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 77: 264–270, 1980
Leon AS, et al. Effects of a vigorous walking program on body composition, and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism of obese young men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 32: 1776–1787, 1979
Lewis S, et al. Effects of physical activity on weight reduction in obese middle-aged women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 29: 151–156, 1976
Manson JE, et al. Body weight and longevity. Journal of the American Medical Association 25F: 353–358, 1987
Marniemi J, Pestoner P, Vuori I, Hietanen E. Lipoprotein lipase of human postheparin plasma and adipose tissue in relation to physical training. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 110: 131–135, 1980.
Moody DL, Kollias J, Buskirk ER. The effect of a moderate exercise program on body weight and skinfold thickness in overweight college women. Medicine and Science in Sports 1: 75–80, 1969
National Center for Health Statistics. Overweight adults 20–74 years of age: United States, 1971–74, Vital and Health Statistics, Advance Data No. 51, Public Health Service, DHEW, Hyattsville, 1980
Nikkila EA, Taskinen MR, Rehunen S, Harknen M. Lipoprotein lipase activity in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle of runners: relation to serum lipoproteins. Metabolism 27: 1661–1671, 1978
Olefsky J, Reaven GM, Farquhar JW. Effects of weight reduction on obestiy. Studies of lipid carbohydrates metabolism in normal and hyperlipoproteinemic subjects. Journal of Clinical Investigation 53: 64, 1974
Passmore R, Strong JA, Ritchie FJ. The chemical composition of the tissue lost by obese patients on a reducing regimen. British Journal of Nutrition 12: 113–122, 1958
Pavlou KN, Steffee WP, Lerman RH, Burrows BA. Effects of dieting and exercise on lean body mass, oxygen uptake, and strength. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 17: 466–471, 1985
Pi-Sunyer FX, Woo R. Effect of exercise on food intake in human subjects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 42: 983–990, 1985
Pollock ML. The quantification of endurance training programs. In Wilmore (Ed.) Exercise and sports sciences reviews, pp. 155–188, Academic Press, New York, 1973
Rimm AA, White PL. Obesity: its risks and hazards. In Bray (Ed.) Obesity in America, NIH Publication No. 80-359, Government Printing Offices, Washington, DC, 1980
Saltin B, Blomquist G, Mitchell JM, Johnson Jr RL, Wildenthal K, et al. Response to exercise after bed rest and after training. American Heart Association Monograph No. 23, 1968
Schwartz RD, Brunzell JD. Increased adipose-tissue lipoproteinlipose activity with weight loss. Journal of Clinical Investigation 67: 1425–1430, 1981
Sopko G, et al. The effects of exercise and weight loss on plasma lipids in young obese men. Metabolism 34: 227–236, 1985
Sours HE, et al. Sudden death associated with very low calorie weight reduction regimens. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 34: 453–461, 1981
Stunkard AJ, et al. The results of treatment of obesity: a review of the literature and report of a series. Archives of Internal Medicine 103: 79–85, 1959
Thompson PD, et al. Unexpected decrease in plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol with weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 32: 2016–2021, 1979
Wallentin L, Sköldstam L. Lipoproteins and cholesterol esterification rate in plasma during a 10-day modified fast in man. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33: 1925–1931, 1980
Weltman A, et al. Caloric restriction and/or mild exercise: effects on serum lipids and body composition. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33: 1002–1009, 1980
Weir CE. Benefits from human nutrition research. In Eating in America: dietary goals for the United States: report of the select committee on nutrition and human needs, US Senate, The MIT Press, Cambridge, 1977
Widerman PM, Hagan RD. Body weight loss in a wrestler preparing for competition: a case report. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 14: 413–418, 1982
Wing RR, Jeffery RW. Outpatient treatments of obesity: a comparison of methodologies and clinical results. International Journal of Obesity 3: 261, 1979
Wolf RN, Grundy SM. Influence of weight reduction on plasma lipoproteins in obese patients. Arteriosclerosis 3: 160–169, 1983
Wood PD, et al. Increased exercise level and plasma lipoprotein concentrations: a one-year randomized, controlled study in sedentary middle-aged men. Metabolism 32: 31–39, 1983
Yang MU, Van Itallie TB. Composition of weight loss during short term weight reduction: metabolic responses of obese subjects to starvation and low calorie ketogenic and non-ketogenic diets. Journal of Clinical Investigation 58: 1722–1730, 1976
Zimmerman J, et al. Effect of weight loss in moderate obesity on plasma lipoprotein and apolipoprotein levels and on high density lipoprotein composition. Arteriosclerosis 4: 115–123, 1984
Zuti WB, Golding LA. Effects of diet and exercise on body composition of adult women during weight reduction. Medicine and Science in Sports 5: 62, 1973
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hagan, R.D. Benefits of Aerobic Conditioning and Diet for Overweight Adults. Sports Medicine 5, 144–155 (1988). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198805030-00002
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198805030-00002