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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you are overweight, is it better to diet or exercise to reduce your risk of diabetes? A new study reveals either one will produce the same beneficial results.
A team of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis conducted the study with participants between 50 and 60 years old who were overweight, but not obese. The participants were divided into three groups, including one on a calorie-restrictive diet, one group who exercised, and one group who did neither. All of the participants were evaluated five times during the year-long study.
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The participants in the calorie restrictive group reduced their calorie consumption by 16 percent to 20 percent. The participants in the exercise group exercised for 60 minutes to 90 minutes a day. The other group could go to yoga or request dietary help, but most did not.
Study authors found glucose tolerance and insulin levels improved at about the same levels in both the dieters and exercisers. Both groups also lost weight. Those in the control group did not have any changes.
"We thought exercise probably would produce greater benefits. But both of these are providing beneficial health improvement," reports Edward Weiss, Ph.D. "The next step is to determine what happens when you exercise and diet to lose weight. We don't know if the combination is going to provide greater benefits."
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006;84:1033
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