It is interesting in which fields, bald assertions, anecdotes, and the way things were taught a million years ago are far more influential then actual studies/knowledge. Most of what we "know" and almost all we have been "taught" about physical culture is NOT supported by studies. Not supported means is not true or even wrong. I find how tightly we cling to what we know is profoundly interesting especially since all rational observation show the abject failure of what we "know". We see the results of our cherished ideas every day. Yet it seems the hardest thing to change is our minds...
Studies show that steady state cardio is not correlated with loosing weight. However, steady state cardio is correlated with people maintaining the same weight.
Interestingly studies show that what cardio activities does yield fat loss (not necessarily weight loss) are long duration low intensity (> 4 hours) and intervals work outs.
These studies have been replicated on many different groups and under different conditions and are as close to truth as you can get in areas where there is such high rate of individual differences.
What saddens me most about this is that people feel bad about themselves, judge themselves harshly, using ideas that are incorrect. And yet if they just switched the way they think they would; accomplish what they desire, understand that it was not some "moral failure" but incorrect "facts", and be far healthier.