Health and nutrition expert Michael Mosley said the idea it is better to lose weight gradually rather than quickly is a myth.
People who are trying to lose weight are often told that if they lose weight too quickly, they will put it back on just as quickly. The 5:2 and Fast 800 diets however, say the evidence does not back this. Also, studies suggest people losing weight faster are less likely to drop out due to frustration at their slow progress.
Writing on his website Dr Mosley said: "In a recent review article titled 'Myths, Presumptions and Facts about Obesity' in the prestigious medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers put this claim firmly into the 'myths' category. After looking at numerous studies which have compared rapid with slow and steady weight loss, they concluded you would do better to lose it quickly rather than slowly."
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Dr Mosley said there was other evidence that there were advantages to quicker weight loss. He explained: "A recent Australian study backs up these claims. Researchers took 200 obese volunteers and put half of them on a low calorie diet (less than 800 calories a day) for 12 weeks. The other half were asked to cut their calories by 500 a day (enough to lose around a pound a week). They were asked to do this for 36 weeks.
"There was a very high drop-out rate among the steady dieters: less than half made it to the end of the 36 weeks. Most said they gave up because they were frustrated by the slow rate of progress. By comparison, more than 80% of those in the rapid weight loss programme stuck to it."
After this study finished, participants were followed for three years and the amount of weight both groups put on was similar. Michael Mosley however added losing weight quickly "isn’t suitable for everyone" and that "if you do decide to lose weight fast you have to make sure you have the right balance of nutrients in your diet".
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