Summary
The paper tackles the issue of weight loss in obese individuals and the success of a comprehensive approach towards treating excess fat. The author contends that obesity is a persistent issue that needs to be addressed to mitigate potential health risks associated with the condition. As a means of furthering the discussion, his paper aims to determine whether particular approaches to weight loss correlated with regaining weight during 1 year. By using the gathered data, Feigenbaum aims to assist the effort of better understanding the subject of stable weight loss and obesity. To succeed in tackling the problem of obesity, he contends, researchers need to move away from monitoring and evaluating changes in the RMR and the EIEE and solve other issues influencing the weight to regain process (Feigenbaum, 2019).
Methods and Subjects
The study uses 54 adults of around 40 years with an average BMI of 37 kilograms per m2. All of the people for the test groups were secured from one of Norway’s biggest cities, Trondheim. The participants notably were weight stable before taking part in the study, meaning that their diet and lifestyle over recent months has been stable. The medically healthy, but obese individuals underwent 8 weeks of a very-low-energy-diet (VLED), then a period of re-feeding and recovery (Feigenbaum, 2019). The maintenance period was to take up a single year. The diet is liquid-based, and all of the weight loss results are measured via a calibrated scale during the study (Feigenbaum, 2019). After the dieting period, participants were each individually counseled on the best plans for a gradual reintroduction of normal food, and the process also included regular education sessions, nutritional counseling, and cognitive behavior therapy.
Results
On average, the participants lost 17% percent of their body weight by week 13 of the study (Feigenbaum, 2019). After the re-introduction of normal foods and the 1-year recovery period, most of the people have lost at least 10% of their baseline weight (Feigenbaum, 2019). The body mass they regained was largely not comprised of fat, but other types of mass. In terms of RMR and Energy expenditure Changes, no specific correlations were found. The study has also not determined a correlation between weight loss and hunger levels.
References
Feigenbaum, J (2019). Winning the Losing Game: The Science of Maintaining Weight Loss. Barbell Medicine.