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Increased Physical Activity Associated with Less Weight Regain Six Years After "The Biggest Loser" Competition
Jennifer C Kerns1, Juen Guo2, Erin Fothergill2
1Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|November 1, 2017
Summary
Maintaining weight loss requires significant and sustained increases in physical activity (PA). Energy intake changes were similar between weight loss maintainers and regainers, highlighting PA as the key factor.
Area of Science:
- Obesity Research
- Exercise Physiology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Weight regain is common after significant weight loss.
- Understanding the interplay of physical activity (PA) and energy intake (EI) is crucial for long-term weight management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between changes in physical activity (PA) and energy intake (EI) and subsequent weight loss and regain.
- To analyze these factors in participants of "The Biggest Loser" competition over a 6-year period.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking 14 participants from "The Biggest Loser" competition.
- Measurements included body composition, resting energy expenditure, EI, and PA at multiple time points using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, indirect calorimetry, and doubly labeled water.
- Data analyzed 6 years post-competition.
Main Results:
- Participants who maintained weight loss showed a significantly greater increase in PA (160%) compared to weight regainers (34%).
- Weight regain was inversely associated with absolute changes in PA (r = -0.82, P = 0.0003) but not EI.
- Changes in EI and PA explained 93% of the individual variability in weight loss at 6 years.
Conclusions:
- Large and persistent increases in physical activity are essential for long-term weight loss maintenance.
- Physical activity, rather than energy intake, appears to be the primary driver of sustained weight loss in this cohort.
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