Higher Calorie Intake Plus Adequate Exercise Linked to Lower Mortality Compared to Low-Calorie Diet with Exercise: Insights from NHANES Data

Highlight

• Both higher- and low-calorie diets, when combined with adequate exercise, associate with reduced all-cause mortality.
• Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise confers greater survival benefits than a low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise.
• Only higher calorie intake plus adequate exercise shows a significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality.
• No significant mortality benefit was observed for cancer deaths relative to calorie intake and exercise variations.

Study Background and Disease Burden