Stress May Keep Obese Exercisers From Losing Weight - Study

Norwegian researchers have found a paradoxical phenomenon among inactive obese people who start exercising: working out may actually be counter-productive. The standard advice for overweight people is to shed pounds by eating fewer calories and getting more exercise. But in the study, 17 sedentary obese people participating in a 22-week program of exercise, diet and health education lost less weight than expected. The researchers said the surprising finding  could be related to the high levels of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, among the participants. They were actually more physiologically more stressed while in the program. The researchers acknowledged that the study sample was small and further research should be pursued.