The study, published Monday in the scientific journal Obesity, was conducted by Dr. Kevin Hall, an expert on metabolism with the National Institutes of Health, and examined former “Biggest Loser” contestants to gain insight into why drastic weight loss so often doesn’t stick.
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In addition, as the years went by and the numbers on the scale climbed, the contestants’ metabolisms became even slower, and the pounds kept piling on.
The show decelerates the contestants’ resting metabolisms, which never return to normal, according to the study. Of the 14 contestants followed, 13 regained weight since the show ended – a finding that has larger implications for weight loss. They speculated that alums would need to keep up the intense exercise and calorie restriction in order to keep the pounds off. This new paper suggests that theory is true, and that it isn’t even the whole picture when you consider hunger hormones.
“Long-term weight loss requires vigilant combat against persistent metabolic adaptation that acts to proportionally counter ongoing efforts to reduce body weight”, the authors concluded. “Something is wrong with my body, “‘ Cahill said.
The end of each season is typically euphoric, with each final contestant noticeably slimmer and healthier than at the start of the show, not to mention a newly minted reality television celebrity.
Burguera pointed out that while doctors view obesity as a chronic disease, many patients feel shame for not overcoming their weight gain on their own. When the show was over, their metabolisms had slowed dramatically, enough that they couldn’t maintain their new weight. Back in 2009, she started the show at 263 pounds and finished at about 176. “Two treats can turn into a binge over a three-day period”.
“The key point is that you can be on TV, you can lose enormous amounts of weight, you can go on for six years, but you can’t get away from a basic biological reality”, Dr. Michael Schwartz, an obesity and diabetes researcher who was not involved in the study, told the Times. While it may be discouraging to dieters, it may also help scientists develop new weight-loss drugs and dieting programs that are more effective for weight maintenance.
Lofton said she has always told her patients they will not be able to eat as much as a person of the same weight who was not formerly obese, and that she’s gratified that the study has underlined her past recommendations.
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Your body doesn’t want you to lose all that weight. Cahill said learning about the results of the study made him realize that it wasn’t his fault that he gained back some of the weight he lost.
