Exercise boosts diet benefits

Obese older adults can reduce their chances of developing the metabolic syndrome which raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease by adding exercise to a diet regime, research shows.

The study followed 107 obese adults aged 65 and older for one year and randomised them to four groups – weight management with a calorie-restricted diet, three 90-minute exercise sessions a week without dieting, combined dieting with exercise, and controls (no diet or exercise.)

The combination of diet and exercise nearly doubled the improvement in insulin sensitivity compared with dieting alone. The insulin sensitivity index did not improve in controls but improved by 40 per cent in the diet group and by 70 per cent in the combined diet-exercise group.

Findings were presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th annual meeting in Texas on June 29, 2012. http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/590736/?sc+mtwn