We know dietary changes initially help more when you're trying to lose weight. But what if you're really just trying to get healthier? Researchers made some dramatic findings in a controlled study looking at how exercise alone-without weight loss-would affect key markers for health risks.

I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist, giving you the Skinny on Your Health.

Researchers had groups assigned to a diet-and-exercise weight-loss program, and a diet-only weight-loss program.

And they put one group of subjects on a daily exercise program designed to burn about 500 calories, but they also increased their dietary intake by that same amount!

Naturally, the diet and exercise group had the greatest health improvement overall, but the weight-maintenance exercise group showed significant reductions in visceral fat and insulin resistance, key risk factors for diabetes and even heart disease.

These factors improved for them as much as for the group on a weight-loss diet, even though they didn't lose any weight,

It just shows again that there's no one right way to do it, as long as you do DO IT!

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Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. is a board certified Family Physician and a board certified Bariatric Physicians (the medical specialty of weight management). Dr. Cederquist is the founder of Bistro M.D., a home diet delivery program that specializes in low calorie gourmet food that is delivered to your home or office. Bistro M.D. serves as culmination of Dr. Cederquist's expertise and experience in the world of medical weight loss.