Compare and Contrast - Essay Example

Dieting is a very common method adopted for weight control. Most people go with this option because skipping meals apparently seems easier than doing physical workout. Besides, skipping meals has an obvious and quick effect on the body. The concept behind dieting is this; since the body does not get the required nutrients and nutrition, it uses stored energy in the body in the form of fat to self-address its needs. Consumption of this stored energy results in fat loss and accordingly, weight loss.

Dieting has many different forms in addition to skipping of meals. These days, a lot of diet programs have evolved that are marketed over social media and the Internet. Some of these programs are based on the consumption of a special kind of tea or medicine while other programs suggest diet plans that can be followed by the interested people. The basic concept is to limit the consumption of fat and carbohydrate in meals, boost the metabolism, and burn the calories. Exercise is another very common method adopted for weight control.

This method is based on physical workout. Exercise certainly appears to be more strenuous and physically demanding compared to dieting not only because it involves physical exertion and use of muscles, but also because results take longer to show up than they do in the case of dieting. The concept behind doing exercise is to burn off the calories stored in the body in the form of fat. As an individual runs, stored energy is consumed and fat burns off. Intensity and type of exercise can vary from one person to another depending upon the level of fitness desired, age, gender, and physical stature.

Normally, young males do the most intense physical workouts compared to people of all other age-groups. People do exercises in a variety of ways. Some people go to gym regularly. Other people do walk, running, or jogging. People either go to the jogging tracks or use treadmills. While dieting apparently seems easier than doing exercise, in many cases, it might be more difficult and worse than exercising daily. Highly motivated people start doing dieting by missing meals, but as their hunger increases and the motivation starts to subside, they allow themselves to eat.

Since they had not eaten for a long time as a result of skipping a meal, they end up eating more than they would have eaten otherwise combined in the two meals. So skipping meals essentially becomes only delaying meals only to end up eating more than usual. Dieting consumes stored energy as a result of which, the person looks very lazy and worn out. Skin becomes lose and the person looks aged and tired even if he/she manages to lose some weight with dieting. These are only some of the disadvantages of dieting.

Many diet programs that have surfaced in the recent years are ineffective and their marketed products are actually bad for health. On the other hand, physical workout is a very good exercise routine with multiple advantages. Physical workout not just helps an individual lose weight, but it also makes the individual look fresh and young. Physical workout boosts body metabolism and increases the circulation of blood in all organs of the body. This has a clear and obvious beneficial effect on the functions of the body.

Comparing the two options of weight control, exercise far exceeds dieting in effectiveness and advantages. However, neither of the two methods can be considered as alone effective and sufficient in