Moment 143: This Is Why You Can't Lose Weight: Daniel Lieberman
Jan 5, 2024
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Harvard Professor Daniel Lieberman debunks myths about exercise. He explains that 7 hours of sleep is better than 8 and sitting isn't bad if interrupted. He clarifies exercise's impact on weight loss, stating that 150 minutes per week is insufficient. He emphasizes the complex truth about diet and exercise.
Interrupted sitting is healthier than non-interrupted sitting, so taking short breaks from sitting is beneficial for overall health.
The notion that humans need exactly 8 hours of sleep per night is not supported by scientific evidence, and the optimal sleep duration generally bottoms out around 7 hours.
Deep dives
Sitting and Inactivity
Contrary to common belief, sitting itself is not necessarily detrimental to health. Animals and hunter-gatherer societies also engage in sitting. The more important factor is how we sit. Interrupted sitting, where you get up frequently, activates various cellular mechanisms and is healthier than non-interrupted sitting. Therefore, simply taking short breaks from sitting, like getting up to make tea or petting your dog, is beneficial for overall health.
Sleep Duration
The notion that humans need a fixed 8 hours of sleep per night is a myth. Studies on populations without electricity, TVs, and phones show that they naturally sleep 6 to 7 hours per night without napping. The ideal sleep duration varies among individuals, but the curve for optimal outcomes, including cardiovascular health and mortality, generally bottoms out around 7 hours. While there are variations, such as teenagers needing more sleep and older people needing less, the notion of needing exactly 8 hours of sleep is not supported by scientific evidence.
Physical Activity for Weight Loss
Physical activity is important for weight management, but the specific dose matters. Moderate physical activity, such as walking for 150 minutes per week, is not very effective for weight loss. Higher doses of physical activity, including 300 minutes per week or more, have shown to be more effective for weight loss. However, it is important to note that exercise alone is not a quick fix for significant weight loss, as the caloric burn from exercise is often lower compared to the caloric intake. Nonetheless, physical activity plays a crucial role in preventing weight gain and maintaining weight loss after dieting.
In this moment, Harvard University professor and best-selling author, Daniel Lieberman, busts some of the most common myths around exercise. For 2 of the biggest myths, Daniel says that they are too simplistic, saying that you must sleep 8 hours a night or that sitting is terrible for your health. Instead, he says that most people do better with 7 hours of sleep a night, (but this can change depending on age and health) also, sitting isn’t bad for you if you mix it up with regular interruptions. Daniel also helps to clear up the debate that exercise does nothing for weight loss. He says the problem is actually that the recommended 150 minutes per week of exercise is not nearly enough, but higher levels of exercise lead to sustained weight loss and prevents regaining weight after losing it. In reality he claim that most of the truth about diet and exercise is more complex than we are led to believe.