Research
Mixed
Increasing cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) or physical activity (PA) consistently reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk, whereas intentional weight loss does not consistently reduce mortality risk and may increase it in healthy individuals.
Prioritize increasing your physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness over focusing on weight loss. Regular exercise provides consistent mortality benefits that are independent of whether you lose weight. If you are overweight or obese, becoming 'fit' significantly lowers your health risks, often more effectively than trying to lose weight alone.
StrongQualifiesHIGH confidence
increases in CRF or PA are consistently associated with greater reductions in mortality risk than is intentional weight loss
Why this rating
Based on multiple meta-analyses of observational studies and RCTs cited in the review.
Source
Obesity treatment: Weight loss versus increasing fitness and physical activity for reducing health risks
Glenn A. Gaesser et al. · iScience · 2021
narrative_reviewCited 149×
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