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Clinical Research

Shedding the weight of exercise for obesity management

International Journal of Obesity (2024)Cite this article

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Physical activity or exercise is often considered essential for weight loss. Increasing physical activity, joining a gymnasium for exercise or weight training, or undertaking strenuous sports or activities such as jogging or running is often the top or the only consideration for weight loss. This perceived obligatory role of physical activity or exercise in weight loss may have some significant downside. It may deter individuals with obesity from attempting weight loss altogether if they are unable or unwilling to undertake an exercise regimen. Furthermore, while exercise or physical activity has significant health benefits, it needs to be carefully selected to match a user’s health status and other requirements, so as to avoid harm and maximize the benefits. Here we share our perspective about various considerations for avoiding as well as recommending types of exercises to supplement weight loss efforts.

Physical activity by itself may not produce substantial weight loss, but when paired with dietary intervention it does have numerous health benefits in the context of weight management [1].

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Oluwatosin Akinsiku, Marleigh Hefner, Princess Uchechi Ozioma.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA

    Gaurav Kudchadkar, Oluwatosin Akinsiku, Marleigh Hefner, Princess Uchechi Ozioma, Holli Booe & Nikhil V. Dhurandhar

Authors
  1. Gaurav Kudchadkar
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  2. Oluwatosin Akinsiku
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  3. Marleigh Hefner
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  4. Princess Uchechi Ozioma
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  5. Holli Booe
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  6. Nikhil V. Dhurandhar
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Contributions

NVD and HB contributed to conceptualization. GK, OA, MF, PUO performed the review of literature and contributed to writing. All authors contributed to the manuscript revision, read, and approved the submitted version.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Holli Booe or Nikhil V. Dhurandhar.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Kudchadkar, G., Akinsiku, O., Hefner, M. et al. Shedding the weight of exercise for obesity management. Int J Obes (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01527-1

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