Can people lose weight by walking?
Melinda Irwin, Ph.D., M.P.H.: Definitely, people can lose weight walking. In a study I published a couple of years ago in JAMA, while we showed modest weight loss with exercise—about 3 pounds over a year—we showed up to 10 percent loss in abdominal body fat. So sometimes your walking program may not lead to a change on the scale, but a change in your belt loop or waist size.
