It's not awful, it just seems off-the-mark. My point is that it seems avoiding physical activity at all costs is better viewed as a consequence of such a metabolic disorder, less so than a cause.
I completely agree that exercise is very important in maintaining health (exercise, especially weight-training is know to increase insulin sensitivity to some degree, for instance), I just think its role in weight-loss, for most people, is greatly exaggerated compared to fixing a diet which actively promotes fat storage (going beyond a caloric excess).
We've been telling overweight people to exercise more and eat less (esp. fat) for 40 years, it simply doesn't' seem to work [1].
Well, the main point of that article seems to be that once someone has been overweight for an extended period of time, it becomes really hard to get to and stay at a lower weight.
So, yes, it suggests that an increase in physical activity isn't an "easy" solution. However, I don't think it affects the point the article is making. People don't wake up to find themselves obese one day. It takes some time and effort to get there. And I would argue one of the biggest impacts on gaining weight is a lack of physical activity.
Not to mention that from my experience, avoiding physical activity has a self-enforcing effect. The more you avoid moving around, the more you want to avoid moving around.
I completely agree that exercise is very important in maintaining health (exercise, especially weight-training is know to increase insulin sensitivity to some degree, for instance), I just think its role in weight-loss, for most people, is greatly exaggerated compared to fixing a diet which actively promotes fat storage (going beyond a caloric excess).
We've been telling overweight people to exercise more and eat less (esp. fat) for 40 years, it simply doesn't' seem to work [1].
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-...