Rapid weight loss may be more effective than a gradual approach, according to new research that challenges long-held assumptions.
Experts have found that people who shed pounds quickly not only achieve greater initial weight loss, but are also more likely to maintain it over a year.
The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Turkey, directly contradicts the conventional wisdom that slower weight loss is superior for sustained results.
One expert said that the work “challenges the longstanding assumption that gradual weight loss is superior for long-term outcomes”.
Researchers from Norway analysed data from 284 obese adults, dividing them into two programmes.
The rapid weight loss group followed a 16-week plan, limiting calories to 1,000 for the first eight weeks, 1,300 for weeks nine to 12, and 1,500 for the final four weeks.
In contrast, the gradual weight loss group was advised to reduce their daily intake by 1,000 calories, with participants self-reporting consumption of approximately 1,400 calories per day.
According to the NHS, the average man needs 2,500 calories a day and the average woman needs 2,000.
After the 16-week weight loss phase, both groups took part in an identical 36-week programme aimed to prevent them from regaining weight.
The research team said that during the initial 16-week programme the rapid weight loss group lost significantly more body weight than those in the gradual weight loss group – those in the rapid weight loss group lost 12.9 per cent of their total body weight, compared to an average of 8.1 per cent lost by those in the gradual group.
After a year, those in the rapid weight loss group had lost 14.4 per cent while those in the gradual group lost 10.5 per cent.
“Among adults with obesity, participation in a structured rapid weight loss programme resulted in significantly greater weight loss at one year,” the authors wrote.
“These findings indicate that, when provided within a controlled and professionally supervised setting, rapid weight loss may represent a more effective method than gradual weight loss for reaching key body weight targets associated with reduced obesity-related health risks.”
Lead author, Dr Line Kristin Johnson, from Vestfold Hospital Trust in Norway, added: “Our results clearly challenge the prevailing belief that slow and steady gradual weight loss is necessary to prevent weight regain and reduce obesity-related complications.
“By contrast, we show that rapid weight loss is not associated with weight regain, and, more importantly, that a larger proportion of participants undergoing rapid weight loss – compared with gradual weight loss.
“These findings are particularly relevant given the urgent need for effective weight loss and weight maintenance strategies.
“As many individuals with obesity cannot access or afford medical or surgical treatments, our results support the potential of effective, commercially available weight reduction programmes to help reduce the growing burden on public healthcare systems.”
Commenting on the study, Dr Marie Spreckley, research programme manager at the University of Cambridge, said: “This is an important study because it challenges the longstanding assumption that gradual weight loss is superior for long-term outcomes.
“Overall, this study adds to growing evidence that rapid weight loss, when delivered safely and appropriately within a structured programme, can be an effective obesity treatment strategy and should not automatically be considered less sustainable than gradual weight loss.”
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