|
Many magazines and web sites bandy about weight-loss statistics, such as "95% of people who lose weight gain it back." But scientific studies about why people regain weight are contradictory. Some blame genetics, but research shows that heredity is only one small factor in weight gain or loss. To answer your question, we turned it around and searched the Web for information on people who had lost weight and kept it off. By looking at these successes, we hoped to learn why others have failed. The National
Weight Control Registry is a research study that tracks about 3,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a year or longer. Dr. James Hill of the University of Colorado and Dr. Rena Wing of the University of Pittsburgh began the registry in 1993, and they've published a number of scientific papers on their findings. They seem to have discovered the secrets to long-term weight loss, but these are no quick fixes. According to Dr. Hill, "To keep lost weight off, people must change their approach to exercise and develop new habits." They've identified four behaviors common among people who've kept the weight off: - Eating a low-fat,
high-carbohydrate diet consisting of 24% fat, 56% carbohydrates, and 19% protein
- Eating breakfast almost every day
- Monitoring weight regularly and keeping a food journal
- Getting about an hour of physical activity on most days, often from walking
The most crucial aspect to maintaining weight loss for registry members is continuing their new behaviors. Once they've lost the initial weight, they don't go back to a high-fat, sedentary lifestyle. Successful weight maintenance depends on healthy habits continued for life. This may seem impossible, but it can get easier over time. Two-thirds of
registry participants say that keeping off the weight is "moderately easy" or "easy." So, to go back to your question, it would appear that people regain weight they've lost because they don't change the unhealthy habits that lead to the weight gain in the first place. Many people are attracted to the promise of quick, easy weight loss through fad diets that restrict certain kinds of foods or prescribe very specific food combinations. While you may lose weight initially on these regimens, they're not designed to be followed for a lifetime, nor are they healthy over the long term. The American
Heart Association offers realistic tips on how to keep those pounds off. The Diet Channel outlines similar strategies for weight maintenance. While it's not as easy as taking a pill, building healthy, lifelong habits can help keep you fit for years to come.
|
