Exercise’s Mixed Messages

Physical activity has long been touted as a disease-fighting force against everything from osteoporosis, chronic pain, and cancer to macular degeneration, heart disease, and dementia. But an anomaly study conducted by the World Health Organization suggests that one widespread epidemic may not be related to activity level: obesity. In fact, researchers found that changes in physical activity appeared to have no effect on weight, and encouraging exercise did not increase obesity risk among subjects. A supporting study in Obesity found that people who viewed posters with positive exercise messages actually ate more than those shown neutral ads. And if you are an avid exercise, you may want to reconsider your one-a-day, since consuming vitamins C and E has been shown to curb its metabolic benefits. But don’t give up your gym membership just yet; for now, the pros certainly outweigh the couple o’ cons!