5 Myths

About Weight Loss, BUSTED

Does sex really count as exercise? Should you set conservative weight loss goals of 5-10 pounds instead of 50? Does adding a little bit of exercise regularly over a long period of time really add up to significant weight loss?

A recent analysis of weight loss research by The New England Journal of Medicine, entitled "Myths, Presumptions, and Facts about Obesity," attempts to answer these questions. Some findings are surprising, some are not, and some common notions about weight loss are yet to be proven or disproven. I have my own opinions based on treating tens of thousands of patients over many decades.

We are all different. What works for some may not work for all, which is why I practice personalized lifestyle medicine, or functional medicine, that allows me to discover the root causes of imbalances in the body that lead to weight gain and disease -- matching the treatment to the person.

The good news for me is that I was not surprised by the myths that are commonly held by doctors, nutritionists, and most people. And I know that some of the presumptions will turn out to be true -- we just don't have enough data to "prove" it.

Remember, the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. Just because something has not been studied accurately does not make it untrue. So what are the top myths and facts about obesity and weight loss?

Click the link to get the 5 myths: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/weight-loss-myths_b_2654484.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

Story and photo courtesy of Huffington Post