By: Elizabeth Rahavi, RD  Date: 10/29/09

Note: Over the next few days we'll look back at some key takeaways from last week's American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo by International Food Information Council Foundation staff members who attended. Check out a previous blog post on another key takeaway from this conference.

I love to run and a year ago I bought a t-shirt that says, “1 tasty cupcake = 3.1 miles.” This shirt spoke to me because I love food, and as a registered dietitian I know the importance of energy balance. The need to modify the amount of tasty treats I eat  throughout the day if I’m not going to hit the pavement, the gym, or participate in any other activity that gets me up, moving and sweating.

While I specialize in the food and nutrition side of the equation, my foot is also firmly planted on the physical activity side by running half marathons, marathons, practicing yoga, and hitting the gym from time to time. Over the years I’ve enjoyed interacting with a variety of fitness professionals who are extremely knowledgeable and skilled at what they do. However, there has always been some rumbling here and there about what is really more important when a person tries to lose weight: eating less or working out more.

Eating Less vs. Working Out: What people tell us

Not surprisingly, people are looking to put their energy where they will get the biggest impact. In focus groups that IFIC has conducted we’ve heard people express this exact sentiment. We commonly hear people say things like, “I eat whatever I want during the day and burn it all off on the basketball court” or, “I don’t like to sweat, I’ll just watch what I eat.” Sure these folks may have some success with these weight loss or weight maintenance strategies but which one will have an easier time losing weight or keeping the weight off. If people aren’t working on both sides of the calorie balance equation, how successful will they be?

Takeaways from ADA

When I saw that the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) was putting on a session at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference about physical activity and strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain I was intrigued. After conducting an evidenced-based review of the literature, the ACSM found that people get the biggest impact when they combined physical activity with reducing calorie intake. The take home message is that both sides of the calorie balance equation are equally important. In this era of evidence-based practice, the American Dietetic Association signed on and endorsed the ACSM position paper. The ACSM also made a special point to call out the important role that dietitians play in providing nutrition and diet advice to overweight adults, especially when risk factors for other diseases are present.

These two organizations have set an example for what can be done “in the field.” Greater collaboration between nutrition and fitness professionals is a winning solution for people who are trying to manage their weight by engaging in active and healthy lifestyles. How has working with a nutrition or fitness professional impacted your life?