While diet and exercise have long been known as the two main pillars of health, it turns out that diet may be doing more of the heavy lifting than previously suspected. New research shows that the difference in global obesity levels could be tied more to the consumption of ultra-processed foods than a sedentary lifestyle. More focus must therefore be put on improving food quality to help fight obesity.
The food we eat "plays a far greater role than reduced energy expenditure in obesity", said a study published in the journal PNAS. After collecting data from 4,213 men and women across 34 countries and cultural groups, researchers found that the "total calories burned per day is really similar across these populations, even though the lifestyle and activity levels are really different", Herman Pontzer, a professor of evolutionary biology and global health at Duke University and the senior author of the study, told NPR.
The study's findings support a theory about human metabolism called the constrained total energy expenditure model, which says that "our brains and bodies closely monitor our total energy expenditure, keeping it within a narrow range", said The Washington Post. Essentially, the body's metabolism adjusts to a person's lifestyle.
Despite the study's findings, exercise is still extremely important for health. "Diet and physical activity should be viewed as essential and complementary, rather than interchangeable," said the research. But a focus could be made on improving the quality of available food and reducing the reliance on ultra-processed foods. "We can't outrun a bad diet," said NPR. | 
