Counting calories versus exercise to lose weight?

Counting calories versus exercise to lose weight? 

According to a recent news article, more people rely on calorie counting versus exercise to lose weight. In fact, twice as many dieters opt to count calories instead of heading to the gym. Among women, the tendency to eschew exercise in favor of calorie counting is even more pronounced. Roughly half of female dieters focus on food intake as opposed to exercise, compared to one-third of male dieters who do this.
Is calorie counting more effective for weight loss than engaging in physical activity? Reducing caloric intake is certainly recommended for achieving practical weight loss goals. However, most fitness experts would agree that a healthy and sensible weight loss strategy should include some level of physical exercise.
Aerobic exercise can allow a dieter to expend additional calories while improving cardiovascular fitness, while anaerobic exercise can allow an individual to expend calories and increase lean muscle tissue, which can also lead to an increased ability to burn calories.