the big loser was a popular reality show that aired on NBC for more than a decade beginning in 2004. In it, participants with obesity competed against each other through intense physical challenges and followed a low-calorie diet to see who could lose weight. higher percentage of body weight. .
Previous findings of the studies of the big loser the contestants demonstrated not only that metabolism slows down dramatically after significant weight loss, but also that regaining lost weight does not restore metabolism to its pre-weight loss levels. This means that people who have lost large amounts of weight must adhere to an extremely low calorie intake to maintain that weight loss. A show contestant he lost 239 pounds and reached a weight of 191 pounds, but six years later, after regaining 100 pounds of that lost weight, he had to eat an 800-calorie-a-day diet to maintain his weight.
New research on physical activity and metabolic rate
TO most recent study by the same researcher intends to explain and interpret the findings of the big loser in the light of an energy conservation model. In what he calls the “constrained model of human energy expenditure,” Dr. Kevin Hall theorizes that because the contestants engaged in long, sustained periods of intense physical activity, their metabolisms slowed down substantially to lower their metabolic rates and, therefore, thus minimizing changes in total energy expenditure. In other words, their bodies made automatic compensatory changes to maintain energy balance.
Of particular interest is the fact that at the end of the big loser competition, the degree of reduced metabolism was not related to the contestants’ subsequent weight regain, and in fact, the contestants who maintained the greatest weight loss six years after the competition actually had the greatest amount of metabolic adaptation. This suggests that the metabolic adaptation is a response to the change in lifestyle, that is, the dramatic increase in physical activity observed in those who maintained the greatest weight loss. Fortunately for those trying to maintain significant weight loss, compensatory mechanisms do not completely counteract lifestyle changes, so it is possible to avoid substantial amounts of weight gain.
What have we learned about weight loss by studying the big loser contestants?
Taken together, what we have learned from these studies on the big loser The contention is that while short-term reductions in resting metabolic rate are related to extreme caloric restriction at the time of active weight loss, the larger and more persistent metabolic adaptation that occurs later is related to Substantial sustained increases in physical activity.
results of the National Weight Control Registry (established in 1993 to determine the characteristics of people who manage to maintain weight) have long shown that physical activity is a key component of successful weight maintenance. What we do not yet know is how sustained increases in physical activity lead to better maintenance of lost weight, despite compensatory long-term reduction in resting metabolic rate. Dr. Hall theorizes that this could be due to the effect of physical activity in reducing appetite.
But as is always the case, additional studies are needed to fully clarify the relationship between body composition, physical activity, energy regulation, and weight maintenance. In the meantime, we must continue to follow the well-founded advice to eat healthy whole foods in moderation, avoid processed foods, and engage in regular physical activity to maintain a healthy body weight.
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