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CNN Live At Daybreak
Benefits of Moderate Exercise
Aired September 10, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you're on the treadmill right now, oh, congratulations, because we have more evidence that exercise is good for you, as if you didn't know. A new study says women over 50 can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 20 percent just by walking briskly for an hour or two every week. The walking helps counteract, but does not entirely cancel out, the increased risk of breast cancer faced by long time hormone users.
And if you are planning to put in long, hard hours at the gym to shed those extra pounds, do not sweat it.
Our favorite nutritionist, Lisa Drayer, of Dietwatch.com live in New York to explain.
And, Lisa, this will make many people on the treadmill right now happy.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Yes, Carol, this is great news, especially for all women who think I want to get fit, I want to lose weight, but the thought of exercising long and hard is just too much to bear, especially in light of the most recent recommendation, which states to aim for about 60 minutes of exercise each day.
Well, a study in this week's "Journal of the American Medical Association" revealed that exercising moderately, that's a pace of about 3.5 miles per hour on a treadmill for just 30 minutes each day for five days a week, can result in significant weight loss among sedentary women who are starting an exercise program.
So the researchers divided about 200 women into different exercise groups of various intensities and durations. They were also told -- this is important -- to restrict their calories to about 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day and to reduce their fat intake to no more than 30 percent of the calories.
And when the researchers closely looked at the data, what they found was that those who exercised less than 30 minutes had the least amount of weight loss. Those who got in at least 30 minutes each day lost a significant amount, about nine percent of their body weight, about 18 pounds over one year. And those who weren't able to reach that 60 minute level each day had greater amounts of weight loss, about 25 pounds, or about 14 percent of their body weight each for the year.
COSTELLO: Wow.
DRAYER: Yes. COSTELLO: OK, I have a couple of questions.
DRAYER: Sure.
COSTELLO: So, 30 minutes each day. But can you do an hour, say, every other day? Will it mean the same thing?
DRAYER: Yes.
COSTELLO: And how much food do you have to cut out of your diet to lose if you choose to exercise every day for 30 minutes at a time?
DRAYER: That's such a great point. And here was the thing, too. The intensity didn't necessarily matter as long as the duration made up for it. And the reason is simple, it's total energy expenditure that counts when it comes to losing weight. And food counts, as well. So think about it in terms of a 300 calorie deficit. That's how I like to refer to it. So if you were to cut out 300 calories in terms of food or burn off a certain amount of calories that would total 300 calories per day, you would lose about a half a pound per week.
Now, I love this, Carol, because it's like negotiating. So you say to yourself OK, I'm not willing to part with the sweets, but I'm willing to do an hour of low impact aerobics. Or maybe you are willing to part with that Reese's peanut butter cup and maybe 12 Jelly Bellies. Then you would only have to do the 30 minutes of walking. The same thing, you want to cut out those three Oreo cookies, you would only have to clean the house for 30 minutes.
So, you see, there are different ways to achieve this same result and you can lose weight and keep it off.
COSTELLO: Wow, that Snackwells cookie must have a lot of calories in it.
Thank you very much, Lisa Drayer.
You've made a lot of people very happy this morning.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 10, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you're on the treadmill right now, oh, congratulations, because we have more evidence that exercise is good for you, as if you didn't know. A new study says women over 50 can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 20 percent just by walking briskly for an hour or two every week. The walking helps counteract, but does not entirely cancel out, the increased risk of breast cancer faced by long time hormone users.
And if you are planning to put in long, hard hours at the gym to shed those extra pounds, do not sweat it.
Our favorite nutritionist, Lisa Drayer, of Dietwatch.com live in New York to explain.
And, Lisa, this will make many people on the treadmill right now happy.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Yes, Carol, this is great news, especially for all women who think I want to get fit, I want to lose weight, but the thought of exercising long and hard is just too much to bear, especially in light of the most recent recommendation, which states to aim for about 60 minutes of exercise each day.
Well, a study in this week's "Journal of the American Medical Association" revealed that exercising moderately, that's a pace of about 3.5 miles per hour on a treadmill for just 30 minutes each day for five days a week, can result in significant weight loss among sedentary women who are starting an exercise program.
So the researchers divided about 200 women into different exercise groups of various intensities and durations. They were also told -- this is important -- to restrict their calories to about 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day and to reduce their fat intake to no more than 30 percent of the calories.
And when the researchers closely looked at the data, what they found was that those who exercised less than 30 minutes had the least amount of weight loss. Those who got in at least 30 minutes each day lost a significant amount, about nine percent of their body weight, about 18 pounds over one year. And those who weren't able to reach that 60 minute level each day had greater amounts of weight loss, about 25 pounds, or about 14 percent of their body weight each for the year.
COSTELLO: Wow.
DRAYER: Yes. COSTELLO: OK, I have a couple of questions.
DRAYER: Sure.
COSTELLO: So, 30 minutes each day. But can you do an hour, say, every other day? Will it mean the same thing?
DRAYER: Yes.
COSTELLO: And how much food do you have to cut out of your diet to lose if you choose to exercise every day for 30 minutes at a time?
DRAYER: That's such a great point. And here was the thing, too. The intensity didn't necessarily matter as long as the duration made up for it. And the reason is simple, it's total energy expenditure that counts when it comes to losing weight. And food counts, as well. So think about it in terms of a 300 calorie deficit. That's how I like to refer to it. So if you were to cut out 300 calories in terms of food or burn off a certain amount of calories that would total 300 calories per day, you would lose about a half a pound per week.
Now, I love this, Carol, because it's like negotiating. So you say to yourself OK, I'm not willing to part with the sweets, but I'm willing to do an hour of low impact aerobics. Or maybe you are willing to part with that Reese's peanut butter cup and maybe 12 Jelly Bellies. Then you would only have to do the 30 minutes of walking. The same thing, you want to cut out those three Oreo cookies, you would only have to clean the house for 30 minutes.
So, you see, there are different ways to achieve this same result and you can lose weight and keep it off.
COSTELLO: Wow, that Snackwells cookie must have a lot of calories in it.
Thank you very much, Lisa Drayer.
You've made a lot of people very happy this morning.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
