Khaberni -It is known that obesity is a global epidemic and a major cause of diseases and poor general health. However, there has been a sharp debate about whether the main cause of obesity is diet or lack of physical exercise.
A new study focused on the issue of diet versus exercise by analyzing data from 4,213 people aged between 18 and 60, from 34 population groups across 6 continents.
The sample was impressively diverse, including individuals from hunter-gatherer groups, herders, farmers, and industrial communities. This includes people with a wide range of diets and activity levels.
The researchers found that total energy consumption accounts for about 10% of the increase in obesity cases in more economically advanced countries, according to "Medical Express".
Processed Foods
They noted that an increased consumption of highly processed foods, such as processed meats, ready meals, and snack cakes, is responsible, pointing out that "the proportion of highly processed foods in the diet was positively associated with body fat percentage".
Exercise as a protective factor
The findings suggested that it is unlikely that lack of physical exercise is the cause of high BMI (weight to height ratio) or body fat, but they noted the importance of exercise as a protective factor and for overall health improvement.
The research team included researchers from multiple universities, such as the University of California and Duke University in the United States, the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, Kaunas National University in Ghana, the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and the National University in Singapore.
Reducing Calories
The study's results highlight the need to focus on reducing calories from highly processed foods to help address the obesity crisis.
The researchers observed that obesity was more prevalent in more economically advanced countries, but it appears that their populations also generally expended more energy overall.
