Fat 2 Fit #74 – Exercise and Weight Loss
Written on September 16, 2009 – 6:00 am | by Russ Turley
On this show, today’s feature is all about exercise and weight loss. In the August 17 edition of Time Magazine the cover article was entitled Why Exercise Won’t make you thin. Jeff weighs in on this topic and references an article by Tom Venuto and a podcast called Fitness Rocks. In the podcast, the host talks with the researcher whose data was used as backup for the article. The writer at Time got it wrong and Jeff calls him on it. It’s a long one, but well worth your time.
In email and comments portion of the show, Maryanne ask about the phentermine she’s taking. As you may have heard on the show in prior episodes, we’re not fans of diet supplements. Phentermine is actually a diet drug, a stimulant similar to amphetamine. We share a few reasons why Maryanne should not be taking this drug, the most dire of which, it could kill her. It must be pseudo-science week, because Michelle writes in with a comment that confesses that she just came off of a “cleanse”.
On the Web Report, Jeff shares an article about differing sizes across nations. While here in the US, Jeff bought a size small shirt. That same shirt in Canada is labeled a medium. What does that mean for you? Perhaps that size 6 dress used to be a size 10 a decade ago. The sizes are changing just to accommodate our larger girth. Russ has an article about a woman in the UK that died after going on a starvation diet for just 3 months. The diet was one of those 500 calorie a day varieties. It is surprising that she survived as long as she did.
Links Mentioned in the Show:
Time Article
Tom Venuto Time rebuttal
National Weight Loss Control Registry
Fitness Rocks Show 140 | 141
Woman dies from starvation diet
Clothes sizes are getting bigger, sizes are getting smaller
Phentermine Info
Phentermine Side Effects
Recipe of the Week:
Not 1, but 6 salads that don’t contain lettuce
Homework:
The goal this week is to “go public” with your weight loss. Tell at least 3 people this week about your newly adopted lifestyle. This adds a little more accountability to you when others are watching. The catch is, you are not allowed to use the word “diet” a single time. The word diet refers to something that is temporary. If they respond and ask you a specific question and use the word “diet”, your goal is to challenge them on it and respond back with something like “your new attitude on nutrition” or “you are simply changing your lifestyle from a fat person’s to a healthier person’s lifestyle”. Everyone always hears that “So and So” is on yet another diet, your goal is to get across that you are doing something much more permanent.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Related Posts:
- Fat 2 Fit #76 – Your Ideal Weight
- Fat 2 Fit #95 – Why Exercise?
- Fat 2 Fit Show #21 – Dealing With Injuries
- Fat 2 Fit #91 – Confronting Loved Ones About Weight Problems
- Fat 2 Fit Show #24 – Season 1 Finale
Tags: cleanse, Exercise, phentermine, pseudo-science, Time magazine
7 Responses to “Fat 2 Fit #74 – Exercise and Weight Loss”
By Miriam on Sep 19, 2009 | Reply
Hi!
That was a great podcast (they all are) but your analysis and rebuttal about the Time Mag. article was awesome.
Good job to both of you. I certainly hope that we never see such horrible journalism from what I thought was a respectable publication again! What a disservice they have done and we can only hope that the world of blogs and podcasts and fitness institutions can correct the damage.
Keep up the great podcasts and I hope you never tire of doing them!
Miriam
By terry on Sep 21, 2009 | Reply
I agree with Miriam!
Great episode over-all! And that was an awesome segment re: the Time Magazine article! Great job on the logical fallacies.
The cast of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast would love this episode. They’re always talking about the problems with the media in covering science stories of any sort! The Skeptics Guide website has a list of their top 20 logical fallacies in case anyone who’s interested in becoming familiar with them.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
By Jeff Ainslie on Sep 22, 2009 | Reply
Hi Terry,
I actually started listening to that podcast probably back around episode #8. Half the stuff that I see about fitness is full of half/truths and logical fallacies. I’m thinking of doing a show on how to evaluate weight loss/fitness product ads and the common ways that they try to sell to people.
By Diane on Sep 23, 2009 | Reply
Thank you so much for explaining how the science was manipulated and twisted for the piece in Time magazine. Your commentary was intelligent and accessible for lay folks to understand. When I read that article, I shared Jeff’s shock and anger. Really grateful that you are setting people straight.
Also, I wanted to tell you that I have a background in holistic nutrition and have studied the subjects of health and food for the past five years, and still learn so much from your podcast.
For example, while watching episode 1 of the new season of The Biggest Loser with my husband, a guilty pleasure I guess, I explained to him the whole theory behind starvation diets and why their extreme weight-loss will be almost impossible to maintain once they go back to regular life. I understand this better because of how you guys explained it to me, and now he understands it, too.
Keep up the great work – it’s really appreciated.
Diane from NYC
By terry on Oct 8, 2009 | Reply
Dear Jeff,
An episode on how to evaluate weight loss/fitness product ads would be a great one. You have that thread going through all your podcasts, but it would be great to put it all together into one episode to really focus everyones brain on how to think!
Thanks again for your excellent work.
Unfortunately I’ve already listened to the F2F archives and now I only get to listen to a new one once per week. I miss you guys!
By Laura S. on Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
As an avid knitter, I really enjoyed the Time article! If you’re in it for weight loss, you might as well knit? Since reading that, I’d been running around with half my face painted blue a la Braveheart, and yelling “Freedom!” instead of training for the next 5K race.
Alas, I’ve just now listened to this podcast and talked to my doctor. While I totally agree the Time article was sensationalized out of proportion, it does have some redeeming qualities. The first is something I’m guilty of, overcompensation in eating for the amount of exercise. Something else my doctor and I talked about is exercise won’t help you lose weight if you’re inert otherwise. At some point, people will have to put down the computer mouse and television remote. By people, I mean me.
Finally, a lot of women’s magazines have completely inflated cover blurbs, especially concerning weight loss. Very often, the article bears no resemblance to the cover’s allusion to it. Sad to add Time to the list of unreliable reporting.
By bleong on Nov 30, 2009 | Reply
Lemonade Diet?
Hey guys, I’m pretty sure I know the cleanse you were talking about with lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. And actually went through the cleanse.
I did lose a fair amount of weight but understood even at the time that it was water weight. What do you think about cleanses, for the health reasons separate from weight loss?