[throwawayboise]

> there must be a point at which exercise _does_ increase energy expenditure

Of course there is. The problem is that it's much easier to eat than it is to exercise. You can eat a Big Mac in 5 minutes, and you'd have to run or bike for hours to burn those calories off. A 30 minute jog on a treadmill won't do it.

Most people eat more calories than they need, and would have to exercise much more than they realize to burn them off. So losing weight over a reasonably short period of time almost always requires cutting calories. Few people have enough free time to do it with exercise alone.

[noogle]

The efficiency of our bodies (or the amount of calories in food) is astounding. Makes one think whether there is any acceptable use case for serving snacks and other high-calorie-density food.