Pairing Exercise With Weight Loss Can Make a Major Health Improvement for People With Obesity and Prediabetes

In a breakthrough study conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, it has been found that combining regular exercise with a 10% weight loss can have significant health benefits for individuals living with obesity and prediabetes.

The Combo Doubles Insulin Sensitivity: The research highlights that exercise, when combined with weight loss, more than doubles insulin sensitivity, a crucial factor in preventing or delaying the progression of prediabetes into type 2 diabetes, while also reducing the risk of heart disease.

Research Details: Dr. Samuel Klein, the senior investigator of the study and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University, explains that insulin resistance is a major contributing factor to type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and abnormal blood lipids in people with obesity.

The study involved 16 volunteers who were obese and had prediabetes, with medical evidence of insulin resistance. Eight of the volunteers followed a diet-only approach, losing 10% of their body weight, while the other eight combined diet therapy with supervised exercise training. The results were striking.

Treatment for Obesity-Related Metabolic Diseases: By demonstrating the marked improvement in whole-body insulin sensitivity resulting from the combination of exercise and weight loss, this research offers a promising approach to treating obesity-related metabolic diseases more effectively.

Exercise Alone Is Not Enough: It was found that exercise, when paired with weight loss, led to substantial benefits, whereas exercise alone had minimal effects on body weight in people with obesity. Dr. Klein remarks that previous studies have shown exercise to have limited impact on body weight in individuals with obesity. However, this study delved into detailed analyses of metabolic changes in muscle and body fat before and after a 10% weight loss, revealing significant benefits from combining exercise with weight loss.

The Results: The implications of these findings are profound, considering that millions of Americans have prediabetes, with an estimated 96 million individuals affected. This represents 1 in every 3 adults, highlighting the urgency of effective interventions. Furthermore, more than 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and over 40% of the population is obese, which is closely linked to diabetes.

Dr. Klein emphasizes that the metabolic benefits observed in this study underscore the importance of including exercise in weight-management therapy. Exercise should be viewed as an integral component of treatment to achieve substantial improvements in insulin sensitivity, body weight, and overall health outcomes for individuals with obesity and prediabetes.

The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was published in the journal Nature Metabolism on June 26. The insights gained from this research have the potential to reshape approaches to tackling obesity and prediabetes on a broader scale, offering new strategies for preventing and managing these prevalent health conditions.

Conclusion: As the prevalence of obesity and prediabetes continues to rise, it is crucial to prioritize the combination of exercise and weight loss as an effective means of promoting insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of diabetes, and improving overall metabolic health. By incorporating exercise into weight-management therapy, individuals can take significant steps towards preventing the onset of chronic diseases and leading healthier lives.