Research
Adherence
Most adults attempting weight loss do not use the recommended combination of reducing calorie intake and engaging in at least 150 minutes of leisure-time physical activity per week.
If you are trying to lose weight, relying on just one strategy (like cutting fat or just walking) is likely to fail. You must combine a caloric deficit with at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Most people fail because they do not do both.
ModerateRefutesMEDIUM confidence
Among those attempting to lose weight, a common strategy was to consume less fat but not fewer calories (34.9% of men and 40.0% of women); only 21.5% of men and 19.4% of women reported using the recommended combination of eating fewer calories and engaging in at least 150 minutes of leisure-time physical activity per week.
Why this rating
Cross-sectional survey data (BRFSS) relies on self-reported behavior, which is subject to recall and social desirability bias, though the sample size is large (N > 100,000).
Source
Prevalence of Attempting Weight Loss and Strategies for Controlling Weight
Mary K. Serdula · JAMA · 1999
DOI 10.1001/jama.282.14.1353
cross_sectional · n=107804Cited 525×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
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- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
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- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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