Changes in plasma lipids and lipoproteins in overweight men during weight loss through dieting as compared with exercise.

Abstract We studied separately the influence of two methods for losing fat weight on the levels of plasma lipids and lipoproteins in overweight sedentary men — decreasing energy intake without increasing exercise (diet), and increasing energy expenditure without altering energy intake (exercise, primarily running) — in a one-year randomized controlled trial. As compared with controls (n = 42), dieters (n = 42) had significant loss of total body weight (-7.8±0.9 kg [mean ±SE]), fat weight (-5.6±0.8 kg), and lean (nonfat) weight (-2.1±0.5 kg) (P<0.001 for each variable), and exercisers (n = 47) had significant loss of total body weight (-4.6±0.8 kg) and fat weight (-3.8±0.7 kg) (P<0.001 for both variables) but not lean weight (-0.7±0.4 kg). Fat-weight loss did not differ significantly between dieters and exercisers. All subjects were discouraged from altering their diet composition; however, dieters and exercisers had slight reductions in the percentage of kilojoules derived from fat. As compared with the c...