- New research suggests that rapid weight loss may be more effective than a gradual approach for both initial weight reduction and long-term maintenance, challenging conventional wisdom.
- The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Turkey, involved 284 obese adults divided into rapid and gradual weight loss programmes.
- Participants in the rapid weight loss group followed a structured 16-week plan with calorie restrictions, while the gradual group aimed for a 1,000-calorie daily reduction.
- After 16 weeks, the rapid weight loss group lost significantly more body weight (12.9 per cent) compared to the gradual group (8.1 per cent).
- One year later, the rapid weight loss group maintained a greater overall loss (14.4 per cent) compared to the gradual group (10.5 per cent), indicating that rapid weight loss, when supervised, can be an effective strategy.
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