Based on a recent study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center (AHWC) on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, physical activity helps maintain significant weight loss more successfully than diet.
The study was selected as an Editor’s Choice article in the March issue of Obesity. “This study addresses the difficult question of why so many people struggle to maintain their weight loss over time.” Daniel Ostendorf, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at CU Anschutz Health & Wellness, said, “A group of successful weight loss maintainers found evidence to prevent weight regain by engaging in high levels of physical activity — reducing their energy intake.” rather than being confined for a long time” center.
The findings suggest that successful weight loss maintainers rely on physical activity to stay in energy balance (instead of the chronic restriction of dietary intake) to avoid weight gain. In studies, successful weight loss individuals are those who maintain a body weight loss of 30 pounds or more for more than a year.
Victoria A. Catenacki, MD, a weight management physician and researcher at CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
The study looked at successful weight loss maintainers in comparison to two other groups: controls with an average body weight (body mass index similar to the weight loss maintainers’ current BMI); and controls with overweight/obesity (whose current BMI was similar to the pre-weight-loss BMI of the maintainers). The weight-loss maintainers had a body weight about 150 pounds similar to that of the normal-weight controls, whereas the overweight and obese controls had a body weight of about 213 pounds.
This study is one of the few studies to use the gold standard double labeled water method to measure total daily energy expenditure in individuals who lose weight.
The method allows researchers to accurately determine a person’s energy expenditure by collecting urine samples one to two weeks after people are given a dose of doubly labeled water. Double labeled water is water in which both the hydrogen and oxygen atoms have been replaced (i.e. labeled) with an unusual isotope of these elements for tracing purposes.
Measurement of total daily energy expenditure from doubly labeled water also provides an estimate of energy intake when people’s weight is stable, as they were in this study. Earlier studies used questionnaires or dietary diaries to measure energy intake, which has important limitations.
The researchers also measured each person’s resting metabolic rate to understand what portion of total daily energy expenditure came from energy expended at rest versus energy expended during physical activity. Earlier studies used self-reported measures or activity monitors to measure physical activity, which are techniques that may not provide the same accuracy.