For years we've been told that in order to achieve significant weight loss we must combine dieting and exercise. A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reports that dieting or exercise alone can help people to achieve their weight loss goals. These findings refute the advice top doctors and weight loss experts have been pushing to help individuals struggling with weight problems to achieve sustainable weight loss.

The study, conducted by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, has some obvious flaws. The 35 participants were divided up into three groups - the first cut their caloric intake by 25 percent, the second cut their daily caloric intake by 12.5 percent and increased their daily exercise by the same amount. The third group made more significant changes. Researchers found that at the end of the study the first two groups had lost approximately the same amount of weight.

Not terribly surprising. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you eat significantly less you'll lose about the same amount of weight than if you eat a little less and exercise a little more. The weight loss will not likely be as sustainable, however. It's a pretty safe bet that if the researchers had given an exercise regimen to the individuals who had cut their caloric intake by 25 percent they would have lost significantly more weight.

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