http://www.vox.com/2016/4/28/11518804/weight-loss-exercise-myth-burn-calories
Yes, I read that yesterday, along with the one about the rapid regain of the "Biggest loser" winners (all of them).
That headline is really misleading.
It should read, "Exercise alone is not going to make you slim".
Honestly, I'm not in the slightest bit shocked that "Basal metabolic rate is pretty similar for all humans"; which seems to be the conclusion of both articles. Or that "people who lost weight, put it on again when they quit the regime that caused the loss".
Nor am I shocked that it seems that my metabolism is slowing as I age, so I can't eat unlimited crap anymore (had a conversation with an Evolutionary biologist about this some years back and she hypothesised that storing more fat as you become less able to gather calories through age, seemed a logical/likely evolutionary outcome).
Healthy life style is a healthy lifestyle. Too much food, too little exercise; is just that.