Obesity is a problem that affects more than 78.6 million Americans and increases the risk of many diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A new study published by the American Journal of Public Health indicates that obese individuals face an uphill battle to return to a normal weight.
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The data for the study is obtained from the health records of 278,982 obese adults. Generally, individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 to 35 are considered obese and those with a BMI of 40 to 45 fall under the morbidly obese category. The statistics indicate that within any given year during the study, only one in 210 obese men and one in 124 obese women were able to attain normal body weight, and the percentages were even lower for morbidly obese individuals. Only one in 1,290 men and one in 677 women were able to return to normal weight.
The study statistics illustrate just how few of the obese individuals are able to return to normal weight. Additionally, the numbers indicate that sustaining weight loss is also challenging. On the surface, the statistics appear to favor small weight losses of 5% of the individual’s original weight. One in 12 men and one in 10 women achieved a 5% weight loss. However, maintaining the reduced weight proved to be difficult, as 53% of obese individuals had regained the weight lost within a two year time span. By the five year mark, 78% had regained the original weight lost. During the study, more than 33% of patients also experienced cyclic weight gain and weight loss, suggesting that overall people had difficulty keeping off the weight.
Dr. Alison Fildes, the lead researcher of the study, notes that prevention may be the best strategy to fight obesity. While the study did not evaluate the effectiveness of diet and exercise weight management programs, the study’s authors suggest these programs may not be very effective in reducing obesity at the population level. Thus, researchers are advocating for public health policies and treatments that help prevent weight gain and promote maintaining weight loss.
The statistics can be intimidating as only a limited number of obese patients in the study were able to overcome their weight struggle. Only 1,283 men out of the 76,704 obese men and 2,245 women out of the 99,791 obese women who participated in the study were able to return to a normal body weight. Currently, one in every three Americans is obese, and the study indicates that obese individuals face an uphill battle in losing weight and maintaining weight loss. Thus, new public health policies may shift to focus on prevention strategies to tackle the rising obesity problem in America.
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Interesting!