Energy balance
Total daily energy expenditure (TEE) in traditional hunter-gatherers is not significantly different from that of Western populations when controlling for body size, challenging the model that decreased energy expenditure is a primary driver of modern obesity.
Do not assume that being sedentary automatically means your body burns significantly fewer calories than an active person of the same size. Your metabolism is robust and adapts to your body size and lean mass. Focusing solely on 'burning calories' through exercise may be less effective than managing energy intake, as your body's total daily expenditure is largely constrained by your physiology rather than just your activity level.
average daily energy expenditure of traditional Hadza foragers was no different than that of Westerners after controlling for body size.
Why this rating
Uses the gold-standard doubly-labeled water method on a specific, ecologically valid population (Hadza), though it is an observational comparison rather than a randomized controlled trial.
Source
Hunter-Gatherer Energetics and Human Obesity
Herman Pontzer et al. · PLoS ONE · 2012
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0040503
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