Quote:
Originally Posted by Frans  Now that's exactly my point: diets don't work either. 
Suppose you need 2000 Kcal per day to maintain your body weight.
If you start dieting and eat less calories, for example only 1200 Kcal per day, your body will think "hey, I'm not getting enough food!" and it goes in starvation mode.
Result: your basic metabolism will slow down, meaning you don't need 2000 Kcal per day to maintain your body now, but only 1200.
After a while you feel really starved and you must give up your diet. You start eating normal again (2000 Kcal per day as before your diet).
What happens?
Your body has enough with 1200 Kcal per day, so it will stack the 800 Kcal extra as body fat.
This is a description of the famous "yo-yo effect" that all dieters know.
Want to get rid of some bodyfat? Do cardio and weight training and you don't need to diet.
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Although you describe quite accurately the flaw in MOST diets, I don't believe that exercise alone is enough to make you healthy. I think the best way to describe it is to say that while a DIET doesn't work, a NUTRITIONAL PLAN does. For example, no amount of exercise will make you healthy if your diet consists of eating McDonalds 3 times a day every day. It's a nice theory, but it doesn't work.
I totally agree with you though when you say that simply following a calorie-reduced diet doesn't work. You need both a good exercise plan and a proper nutritional plan.