ST. LOUIS — Which works best in fighting the risk factors for
diabetes — exercise or diet? It's a toss up, according to a
year-long study by Edward Weiss, a Saint Louis University
researcher and a member of a Washington University team of
scientists examining whether a calorie-restrictive diet can
extend people's lifespan. “Both diet and exercise provide
profound benefits to reduce the risk of diabetes. Both those who
restrict calories and those who exercise benefit from weight
loss,” Weiss says. “We thought exercise probably would produce
greater benefits. But both of these are providing beneficial
health improvements.” The researchers studied 50- to 60-year-
olds whose body mass index was between 23 and 30. The study
participants were divided into three groups with 18 each in the
diet and exercise groups and 10 in the control group. All
participants had their insulin action and glucose tolerance
evaluated at the beginning and end of the study. In addition,
their weight, body composition and energy intake wer