What Does It Take To Maintain A Normal Body Weight?

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What Does It Take To Maintain A Normal Body Weight?

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=47547

Researchers determine whether successful weight losers need to work

harder to maintain a normal weight compared to those who have never

been overweight

In the first study of its kind, researchers from The Miriam Hospital

and Brown Medical School look to shed some light on this question by

comparing the diet and exercise behaviors of individuals who have

lost weight and kept it off, to those who have never been overweight.

" We are specifically looking to counter the popular notion that

nobody can maintain a normal weight while living in our culture of

fast food, automobiles and remote controls - all of which have been

labeled " toxic " to maintaining a healthy body weight, " says Rena

Wing, PhD, director of the Weight Control & Diabetes Center at The

Miriam Hospital and Brown Medical School and lead investigator of the

national study named Living Lean in a Toxic Environment (LITE).

LITE is a sub-study of the National Weight Control Registry, the

largest prospective investigation of long-term successful weight loss

maintenance - co-founded by Dr. Wing. Given the prevailing belief

that few individuals succeed at long-term weight loss, the Registry

was developed to identify and investigate the characteristics of

individuals who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. The

research, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is

currently tracking over 5,000 members.

" We have seen that individuals who were once overweight and maintain

a low-calorie diet with moderate fat intake, limit their fast food

consumption, and sustain high levels of physical activity, report

continued success in weight loss maintenance, " says co-investigator

Suzanne Phelan, PhD, staff psychologist at The Miriam Hospital and

Brown Medical School. " Although these behaviors may vary within each

individual - it will be interesting to determine whether normal

weight individuals without a history of obesity maintain their body

weight in a similar fashion. "

Researchers state that people who have not been successful at

maintaining their weight loss have not found a pattern of consistency

that works in their life. Therefore, any strategies to maintaining a

normal weight - be it from successful losers or those who have never

been overweight - could prove helpful to many. The Centers for

Disease Control states that 7 out of 10 American adults are

overweight or obese.

Two groups of participants are being recruited nationwide for the

LITE study - those who are normal weight and have never been

overweight; and those who are normal weight now, but have lost at

least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least five years. All

participants will wear a small device that measures physical

activity, while food consumption information will be collected

through telephone interviews with research staff.

Eligibility:

* All participants must be over the age of 18, normal weight, and

maintained weight stability (+/- 10 pounds) over the past two years.

* Participants receive free, personalized feedback about your eating

patterns, the nutrients in your diet, and the amount of calories you

burn each day with exercise.

* Monetary compensation will be provided to all participants.