Women told get fit, not fight fat!!

Women told get fit, not fight fat

Last updated at 14:19pm on 4th December 2006

Get fit instead of worrying about losing weight, the experts say

Women should stop dieting and focus on becoming healthier instead, experts said today.

They said it is possible to be fat and fit and that restrictive diets do not work.

After 12 weeks of exercise and guidance on eating patterns, a group of morbidly obese women were healthier even though they had not lost weight. Their blood pressure and cholesterol levels improved as did their psychological well-being.

Dr Erika Borkoles, exercise psychologist at Leeds University, said the women did four hours of exercise a week. They were told to stop eating when they felt full. They were also given a bar of chocolate in seven segments and told to eat it over a week.

Dr Borkoles said: “Weight is less important than being fit. Healthcare professionals need to shift their focus from weight-loss to helping people to become healthier and manage their weight long-term.”

Her advice was: “Don’t go on a diet, change the way you eat."