EXERCISE AND WEIGHT LOSS
A good proportion of the U.S. population is obese, and the major cause is lack of physical
activity. Most sensible weight loss programs now recommend a combination of diet and exercise to slowly take off extra weight, with an ideal weight loss for women of 0.45 to 0.9 kg (1 to 2 lb) and for men of 0.9 to 1.35 kg (2 to 3 lb) per week. An excess
expenditure of 350 carbohydrate calories is required in order to use 0.45 kg of pure fat. The
caloric deficit should not exceed 2000 to 2500 carbohydrate calories per day or 1.8 kg (4 lb) of fat per week and should represent both increased expenditure (through exercise) and reduced caloric intake. Once the desired weight has been reached, an exercise program of 20 minutes per day, 3 times a week is necessary to maintain it.