Why Do Obese People Regain Lost Weight?

It’s no secret that the vast majority of obese people, who experience some weight loss, regain this lost weight.

The anecdotal or seemingly obvious reason why obese people regain the weight they lose is that they can’t stick to a diet and/or stop exercising.

An Australian study says that hormones are the reason obese people gain back the weight they’ve lost.

This study looked at 50 obese or overweight adults who had a body mass index between 27 (overweight) and 40 (very obese). They participated in a 10 week weight loss program.

At the start of this program, researchers measured the levels of hormones that regulate appetite. This was measured again at the end of the experiment, and then one year after the initial weight loss. The initial weight that was lost came to 13 kgs.

Following this initial weight loss, the hormone levels changed such that an increase in appetite would be expected. These changes persisted for at least 12 months. Study subjects regained about 5 kgs during the one-year study period.

The conclusion is that hormones play a key role in regulating a person’s bodyweight. “Our study has provided clues as to why obese people who have lost weight often relapse,” says Professor Joseph Proietto, University of Melbourne and Austin Health. “The relapse has a strong physiological basis and is not simply the result of the voluntary resumption of old habits.”

What’s intriguing about this conclusion is that many obese or overweight people, who have lost and regained weight, would strongly disagree. The loss and regain weight phenomenon applies to people of all levels of overweight, from 10 pounds overweight to 200 pounds or more.

We all know people who, for years, have been wanting to lose 10 pounds only. They lose it, then regain; lose it, then regain, over and over. And these folks will tell you it’s because they regress to bad eating habits and/or cutting back on or quitting exercise.

This isn’t to say that unhealthy eating habits don’t influence hormones. Many things can upset hormone balance, including bad lifestyle choices.

The reversal of the obesity epidemic starts with one obese person at a time – one new gym membership at a time; one new person committing to throwing out the processed junk food at a time.

Proietto says, “The study also suggests that hunger following weight loss needs to be addressed. This may be possible with long-term pharmacotherapy or hormone manipulation, but these options need to be investigated.”

I’m a certified personal trainer. Hormones can be manipulated by intense exercise and good sleeping habits. Drug therapy should not be the first line of defense against obesity.

Obese people are very capable of intense exercise. “Intense” doesn’t have to apply to long-distance running or fast running. Obese people can perform intense exercise on a stationary bike, elliptical trainer, walking inclines, and of course, lifting weights.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028142504.htm


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