Energy balance
Diet-induced weight loss significantly improves coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors (glucose, insulin, lipids, blood pressure) in obese, middle-aged and older men, whereas aerobic exercise training without weight loss has substantially less beneficial effects on these parameters.
If you are obese and middle-aged or older, losing weight through diet is significantly more effective for improving your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure than exercising alone. While exercise is great for heart fitness, it does not fix metabolic issues as well as shedding fat mass. Focus on creating a caloric deficit to reduce body weight by at least 10%.
These results suggest that weight loss is the preferred treatment to improve coronary artery disease risk factors in overweight, middle-aged and older men.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a large sample size (n=170) and rigorous controls, though limited to a specific demographic (healthy, obese, older men).
Source
Effects of Weight Loss vs Aerobic Exercise Training on Risk Factors for Coronary Disease in Healthy, Obese, Middle-aged and Older Men
Leslie I. Katzel · JAMA · 1995
DOI 10.1001/jama.1995.03530240025035
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