But as you point out, this topic is intricate and has multiple feedback loops. If running leads to weight loss then it would be then helpful for those (formerly overweight) individual's needs.

My tendency is to include lots of nuance and address multiple angles of a topic, and my editors have encouraged me to reign it in and focus more narrowly because people in the West are also not too interested in sitting (or standing) and reading anything for more than ten minutes. And I think that the "optimal" length Medium article is closer to half that .