But it WILL work, and in most cases, it doesn't take much exercise to see results. The point is there's a lot of ways to lose weight and there's no "best way" that works for everyone.

>"The point is there's a lot of ways to lose weight and there's no "best way" that works for everyone."

Incorrect. Eating at a consistent caloric deficit over a significant period of time will result in weight loss [1]. Any diet which incorporates that will 'work', different strategies of adhering to the deficit will allow different people to be consistent, which is the key to prolonged weight loss.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_law_of_thermodynamics and it in practice http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763382/

Let's not get pedantic here, mr spock. Of course you need a caloric deficit, and yes, if you do start walking/exercising for an hour a day and follow that up with a few big macs and chocolate shake you'll gain weight. In reality, if people introduce exercise and keep their diets roughly constant, THEY LOOSE WEIGHT.

The fundamental basics of weight loss are most certainly not 'pedantic'. I've personally guided ~25 or so individuals and I can tell you from anecdotal experience that their diets are most certainly not constant. I'd find it odd if they ate the exact same amount of calories every day, on accident.