Myth: Exercise Keeps You Lean

Physical activity seems not to be 'primary driver' of obesity: researchers

(NEWSER) - Diet is more important than exercise when it comes to reducing obesity, LiveScience reports. A new study compared African American women living in Chicago, who weighed an average of 184 pounds, with women in rural Nigeria, who weighed 127. Contrary to researchers' expectations, the Nigerians were not any more physically active, but they did have healthier diets. More»

The truth may not set you free—but it might make your pants looser

(NEWSER) - Nutritionist Joy Bauer, the "Today" show's diet editor, looks at some popular dieting myths—or are they?

1. Diet and exercise can transform fat into muscle: The one can't become the other.
2. Metabolism slows with age, and there's nothing you can do about it: Exercise can maintain your burn.

Both low-fat plan and Atkins-style regimen lead to weight loss

(NEWSER) - Besides leading to weight loss, a low-carbohydrate diet helps lower blood pressure, according to a new study. Research subjects randomly assigned to a low-carb regimen lost about as much weight as patients following a low-fat plan and taking a weight-loss drug—the generic version of the medication marketed as Alli—but showed a significant improvement in blood pressure readings. More»

(NEWSER) - Americans eat more than twice as much added sugar as doctors recommend, and they should cut back to battle obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, researchers say. Added calories from processed sugar should total no more than 150 for men and 100 for women, the American Heart Association said today. Soft drinks are the top factor in added dietary sugar, and the recommendations are sure to rile their producers, Reuters reports. More»

Keeping weight off made much tougher by brain, hormone cues to get it back

(NEWSER) - Your body doesn't want you to lose weight, scientists say, and makes it tough to keep off pounds lost. Scientists tell the Los Angeles Times that brain and hormone cues increase post-diet as natural processes try to get that old figure back. And while research into the heavy issues is still ongoing, exercise and medications are seen to help. More»