Pravin’s sweetener

COUCH potatoes will no doubt be celebrating with extra servings of ice cream and chicken wings when they read the news on our pages today that exercise alone will not help them to lose weight.

According to a study conducted in the US, led by Loyola University Chicago and focused on South Africa, Ghana, the Seychelles, the US and Jamaica, physical activity is not the cure to obesity many have thought it to be.

“Our study results indicate that physical activity may not protect you from gaining weight,” said lead author Lara Dugas, who qualified in exercise physiology at the University of Cape Town.

But the researchers are at pains to point out that exercise is still important, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and improving mental health and mood. Most important for the waistline, the research shows, is diet.

The news may please Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan as he prepares to deliver the budget this week. Last year, Gordhan promised he would introduce a tax on sugary drinks, which is opposed by a sugar industry that argues it will lead to job losses in a sector badly affected by drought.

According to National Treasury research, a sugar tax will go a long way to reduce the incidence of diabetes and other diseases related to obesity.

The news that exercise is not as important to weight loss as diet will cause indigestion in the fastfood industry, which has long pushed the idea that a jog is all you need to neutralise the effects of a burger and a fizzy drink.

Gordhan’s budget this year will be all about trimming the fat. Some may argue that his sugar tax is just another way to raise revenue. Perhaps fewer burgers will free couch potatoes up to do a bit of exercise, all the better to help them digest the other increases the minister may have in mind.