Physical Activity and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

In this issue of the Journal, Wood and colleagues¹ at Stanford report on a clinical trial comparing two methods of weight loss: restricting energy intake and increasing energy expenditure. Each method was equally effective in reducing fat weight, raising plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and decreasing triglyceride concentrations. This excellent study improves our understanding of mechanisms of weight loss and sets the stage for pragmatic tests of optimal programs for treating obesity while simultaneously modifying plasma lipid levels and improving functional capacity. In addition to the findings of Wood et al., there is much evidence for a favorable.