Honestly, I think running a few miles at a moderate pace is nearly useless for the average person to lose weight. They end up trotting so slow I could pass them walking, and 15 minutes after the “workout” they feel perfectly fine. If you bust your ass, it should be hours before you feel normal again. There is a direct correlation between the calories you’re burning and the amount of time you feel disoriented/tired/sore/winded. The harder you go, the longer that lasts. If you want to go walk around the mall for a few hours, check out the scenery and you’ll know soon enough that method won’t cut it.
Obviously conditioned athletes can go really hard and recover much faster. We’re talking about average chubsters dropping pounds, which is a bit different. Even with conditioned athletes though, put them through a rigorous workout to which their bodies are not accustomed, and they’ll be feeling it.
That sprint workout is a good idea. A lot of people need to watch for injuries though, particularly if it’s the first thing you try after a long break from working out.