Did anyone see the program “The men who made us thin” on BBC2 last night? I thought that it was particularly irresponsible to say that going to the gym was futile [ as a method to loose weight ]. It seemed to be based on old American research and studies using inappropriate sample groups.
Your comments please!
Hi johnsonfamily38,
I didn't actually see the programme, but my first thought is that there is only ONE man who made me thin - or indeed was ever going to - and that was ME.
I seriouslly dislike this tendency for people to place responsibility for their body weight with others.
Also, my understanding is that exercise/activity has two main types of benefit for those trying to lose weight.
The obvious one is that it helps to burn calories and therefore, hopefully, burn some of one's excess weight along with the glycogen.
The more subtle one is that some of the hormones which regulate various functions to do with body weight can be 're-set' through increased exercise/activity. To express that a bit better, just as a human body will adapt to being fed too much by changing its hormone activity so that the body gains weight and size, so, in reverse, most of those hormone changes can be undone by either actually losing weight (becoming a more normal size) or through exercise.
Well done on your weight loss, by the way, and good luck with your maintenance regime.
Nah, load of trash. My method is gym and food regulation. If i do food regulation only i lose weight slower than combined. If i do gym only i lose weight slower than combined. In fact if ive had a bad time of it food wise and absolutely cane it in the gym, the gym pays off. Sounds a bit irresponsible to me.
Mmm, just finished watching it. Mixed feelings on the programme.
They did say that although they believe exercise doesn't help you lose weight (unless you do 1 1/2 hours per day of high intensity, 5 days a week and then stay active for the rest of those days) it does have other health benefits. Although this programme seemed more about obesity, I would have liked a short expanation on the other health benefits of exercise, not what seemed a throwaway line.
Also, expansion would have been good on the low self esteem and how exercise can help that improve which in turn can help motivate you to lose weight (the American guy who used to run cruises for fitness). Personally, I find if I exercise it makes me aware of what I am eating - do I really want to eat xxxx which is high calorie when it will take me xxxxx to burn it off? That awareness is very valuable.
I now intend to go to iplayer and watch part 1.
The point that was being made was that exercise alone will not cause you to lose weight, as he said there are a lot of people under the impression that by joining a gym and making no other lifestyle changes that they will lose weight, which the won't. The program was highlighting if you like, what a false concept a lot of us are sold by fitness companies, likewise last weeks program did the same for the diet industry.
He was also quick to point out the true benefits of exercising regularly.
i saw the program which highlighted many flaws in losing weight i have been a member of a gym for 4 years and in that time i have seen my weight go up and down like a yo yo i really dont believe you can lose weight this way from 4 years experience the only thing its done is make me fitter however it didn't stop me having a heart attack 3 months ago i have ended my gym membership and have got a cycle ive heard you can lose weight just peddling away i shall give it a go
I'm not sure that I'd give up the gym (I suffer more aches and sprains if I don't go) but I'd definitely advocate cycling. Go for it.
it was costing me £75 per month to go to gym the money saved was used to buy bike i had to give up gym because of the damage to my heart
I agree with Bispers comment. Its certainly worked for me that by going to the gym and doing various exercise classes I feel better about myself and have more energy. Therefore I try to make sensible food choices. It takes me 20 mins to burn 200 calories running on the treadmill and less than 2 minutues to eat my fave Topic bar which is 236 calls - ho hum 
Being quite interested in this type of programme I thought I'd tune in. I found it hard to give the programme my full attention due to the presenters fake pitch & tone added to an otherwise monotone voice (I no this isn't points of view) however it would appear that diets don't work and gyms don't make you thin!
Great! DVD & chocolate cake for me tomorrow.....granted I'm on this website so obviously want to lose weight. I do find counting calories (a diet) and the gym help stabilise if not lose weight.
I won't be watching the next episode!
I got annoyed with the program when they discounted the group of thin fit people in the gym for being [too] dedicated! Q.E.D.?
(For me, going to the gym on my way in to work and cutting back and eating more healthily has dropped my weight by 25kg/4st this year.)
most people who go to the gym do it to socialise during my 4 years i saw many young girls in their leotards who needn't be there
Hi All,
Whilst I personally do believe that upping the exercise /activity levels is helpful to those who are trying to reduce their body weight, i.e. reduce the amount of body fat they carry around with them, I also think it's important to distinguish and seperate the two issues of weight loss and muscle toning/strength gain.
I mean by that, it's pretty easy to build up or strengthen up your muscles without actually losing even a smindgen of excess body fat at all.
Exercise may well help fat loss, but it isn't the same thing as fat loss.
I do feel that taking one quote out of a four part series doesnt really tell all the story!
I have blogged all the facts from all four episodes and I think that reading them all and knowing all that was put forward gives a different take on it? what do you think ?
markpowlett.co.uk/myblog/ca...
It was that one particular episode that I was commenting on - the others are better.
