Most people know that eating better and being more active are good for their health.
But a new study from the University of Cambridge shows that doing both at the same time may work even better, especially when it comes to stopping harmful fat from building up around the belly.
The study followed over 7,000 adults in the UK for about seven years. The researchers wanted to see how changes in people’s eating habits and physical activity levels affected their body fat.
They found that while eating healthier and moving more were each helpful on their own, doing both together had the biggest benefit.
People who improved both their diet and activity gained less fat overall—and less dangerous fat around their organs—than people who didn’t change or only changed one habit.
Not all body fat is the same. Some fat sits just under the skin, and while it’s not always ideal, it’s usually not as risky. But some fat, called visceral fat, builds up around important organs like the liver and intestines. This type of fat is linked to serious health problems like type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart disease.
The Cambridge researchers used data from the Fenland Study, where participants wore sensors to track their physical activity for at least 72 hours. They also answered questions about what they ate.
From this, the scientists could tell how closely people followed a healthy Mediterranean-style diet, which includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, and healthy oils like olive oil, with less red meat and sweets.
At both the beginning and end of the study, the researchers used body scans to measure how much fat people had and where it was stored. They also checked for signs of fatty liver disease using ultrasound scans.
The results were clear. People who improved both their diet and exercise gained about 1.9 kilograms less total body fat and 150 grams less harmful visceral fat compared to those who didn’t make changes.
That’s about 7% less body fat and 16% less visceral fat than the average starting levels. These changes might seem small, but they can have a big impact on long-term health.
Interestingly, the study found that visceral fat was especially responsive to changes in habits. Even when body mass index (BMI) was taken into account, improvements in diet and exercise still showed strong links to reductions in visceral fat. However, the same was not true for fat under the skin.
Dr. Shayan Aryannezhad, one of the study authors, said that many people only focus on their weight when thinking about their health. But it’s not just the number on the scale that matters. Where fat is stored in the body is also important. Reducing the fat around organs can help lower the risk of serious diseases.
Professor Nita Forouhi, another author, pointed out that making small but steady changes in eating and exercise habits in middle age can lead to better aging and fewer health issues later in life.
She also stressed that we need to make healthy choices easier for everyone by changing our environment—like having better food options and safer places to be active.
This study reminds us that it’s not about chasing big weight loss goals quickly. Instead, it’s about making simple, long-term changes to both what we eat and how much we move. These combined actions can lead to real improvements in our health, especially by cutting down the fat that puts our organs at risk.
If you care about weight, please read studies about diet that can treat fatty liver disease, obesity, and hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people.
For more information about weight, please see recent studies about how to curb your cravings for ready-to-eat foods, and results showing what you can eat to speed your metabolism up.
The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
