Millennials: They Need To Eat Less, Work Out More To Prevent Obesity

New findings published in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice reveal that millennials may struggle more with their weight than their parents.

In this recent study, researchers at York University collected dietary data from nearly 36,400 American adults, using the available physical activity frequency data of 14,419 adult sin the 1988 to 2006 period.

"Our study results suggest that if you are 25, you'd have to eat even less and exercise more than those older, to prevent gaining weight," researcher Jennifer Kuk said in a statement. "However, it also indicates there may be other specific changes contributing to the rise in obesity beyond just diet and exercise."

Findings revealed that when eating the same amount of food, people were close to 10 percent heavier in 2008 than in 1971. Furthermore, the study results also revealed that people were about 5 percent heavier for a given amount of physical activity level in 1988 than 2006.

The researchers noted that while several studies have revealed that eating less and exercising more have resulted in weight loss, in the long term, they are proven to be ineffective in some cases. 

"This is because weight management is actually much more complex than just 'energy in' versus 'energy out'," added Kuk. "That's similar to saying your investment account balance is simply your deposits subtracting your withdrawals and not accounting for all the other things that affect your balance like stock market fluctuations, bank fees or currency exchange rates."

Lastly, the researchers went on to note how other things ultimately influence our body weight, including lifestyle and environment, medication use, environmental pollutants, timing of food intake, stress, nighttime light exposure and gut bacteria.

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