Introduction

Dr. Ben House is back on Iron Culture! This time he’s here to explain why not only is exercise not pointless for weight loss, but indeed may be the most effective and low-risk tool we have to arrest the obesity epidemic. In this episode, we discuss why “exercise nihilism” for weight loss stems from an overly reductionist view of activity, purely as a means of increasing energy expenditure. We also discuss how activity can have profound effects on the metabolic response to meals, and can better regulate energy intake. We juxtapose the likely-to-fail strategies based on purposeful, lifelong diet restraint, with a focus on activity and exercise which may better regulate passive energy intake. Finally, we do a bit of ranting about our love affair with “willpower” that leads people astray when the diet is over.