Effect of Exercise on Overweight Middle‐aged Males*

A bstract An exercise program (running) significantly reduced body weight in 5 previously sedentary, overweight males whose ages ranged between 35 and 46 years. (Five control males remained sedentary.) With exercise, body weight decreased an average of 4.5 kg (from 88.1 to 83.6 kg). The weight reduction was primarily the result of loss of body fat; the fat‐free weight did not change significantly. Each subject participated in 47 training sessions during a 16‐week period. The heart rate, measured by palpation at ten‐minute intervals throughout each training session, ranged between 155 and 170 beats per minute. It appears that exercise is effective in reducing body weight and can reverse the trend towards increased adiposity in middle age and thereafter.