BLUF
Walking burns fewer calories than expected due to metabolic compensation. Exercise benefits health but has limited impact on weight loss. Sustained caloric restriction is far more effective for losing and maintaining weight.Learning Outcomes
- Explain why increased physical activity does not linearly increase calorie expenditure due to metabolic compensation.
- Evaluate the relative effectiveness of exercise versus caloric restriction for weight loss and health outcomes.
- Describe physiological and evolutionary mechanisms that limit weight loss achieved through exercise alone.
