A new study involving participants of the popular TV show “The Biggest Loser” found that even 6 years after their large weight-loss on the show (129 pounds on average), their metabolism was still slow and struggling to adapt to their new weight.
The New York Times reported that the participants gained much of their lost weight back–70% on average were found to burn approximately 500 fewer calories a day than others of comparable size and age.
The authors of the study wrote in the abstract that weight loss comes along with a slowed resting metabolic rate (RMR) that is typically slower than what would be expected “based on the measured changes in body composition.” They call this metabolic adaption or adaptive thermogenesis and it works as a protective mechanism in the body by stopping further weight loss.
The researchers initially had analyzed the body composition and RMR changes in 16 people with class III obesity on an intensive diet and exercise regime as part of “The Biggest Loser” competition. Participants quickly lost a lot of weight and were left with a much slower RMR at the end of the competition “indicating a large degree of metabolic adaption.”
Since scientists have believed for a long time that perhaps this metabolic adaptation lasts for years after weight loss, the researchers hypothesized that this was happening to “The Biggest Loser” competitors they had studied who after 6 years generally gained most of their weight back.
They recruited 14 of the 16 originally studied show participants and measured their RMR and body composition changes to find out if metabolic adaptation was still occurring and if the degree of metabolic adaption correlated with the amount of weight they gained.
The Case of Contestant Danny Cahill and Surprising Results
Danny Cahill was one of the contestants of “The Biggest Loser” and in fact won the year he participated. According to the New York Times article, he weighed 430 pounds before coming on the show and ended up losing more than any contestant in the history of the show putting him at a finishing weight of 191 pounds (see photo at right). Today, six years later, he weighs 295 pounds.
They reported on his metabolic rate according to the study, he “now burns 800 fewer calories a day than would be expected for a man his size.”
The New York Times reported that Dr. hall, an authority on metabolism at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases said, “It is frightening and amazing,” and “I am just blown away.”
They added that the researchers were aware that a slowed metabolism was normal after weight-loss and it was no shock when they saw that at the show’s end, the contestant’s metabolisms were slower than before the weight-loss.
What was surprising was how even after 6 years after the initial weight-loss, the contestants gained weight and their metabolisms did not adjust back to what they were before. In other words, their bodies seemed to be trying to push the contestants to their pre-show weight.
The Times reported, “Mr. Cahill was one of the worst off. As he regained more than 100 pounds, his metabolism slowed so much that, just to maintain his current weight of 295 pounds, he now has to eat 800 calories a day less than a typical man his size. Anything more turns to fat.”
The researchers also discovered that the contestants now made half the leptin, a hunger hormone, that they did at the start of the show and this can easily lead to constant hunger and cravings and once all the ability to resist is gone–subsequent binges.
The Role of the Brain in Weight Gain
Neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt wrote that “the root of the problem is not willpower but neuroscience.” She said that the brain has various ways of trying to maintain body weight in a certain range, or set point and that metabolic suppression is one of those ways. She explained in an article for The New York Times that the range “varies from person to person,” and “is determined by genes and life experience.” Therefore, regarding the set point, “when dieters’ weight drops below it, they not only burn fewer calories but also produce more hunger-inducing hormones and find eating more rewarding.”
She explained how numerous studies have found that the simple act of dieting leads to weight gain. Dr. Aamodt explained why dieting would lead to weight gain, “First, dieting is stressful. Calorie restriction produces stress hormones, which act on fat cells to increase the amount of abdominal fat. Such fat is associated with medical problems like diabetes and heart disease, regardless of overall weight.”
“Second, weight anxiety and dieting predict later binge eating, as well as weight gain. Girls who labeled themselves as dieters in early adolescence were three times more likely to become overweight over the next four years. Another study found that adolescent girls who dieted frequently were 12 times more likely than non-dieters to binge two years later.”
Dr. Aamodt added that according to evidence, people should focus on healthy lifestyle habits more than calorie restriction. She noted how exercise can reduce abdominal fat (which is a good thing) and how “low fitness, smoking, high blood pressure, low income and loneliness are all better predictors of early death than obesity.”
“Obese people who exercise, eat enough vegetables and don’t smoke are no more likely to die young than normal-weight people with the same habits.”
So What Should We do Instead of Restrict Calories and Exercise 3 Hours a Day?
Dr. Aamodt advised people concerned with their weight to eat mindfully and listen carefully to the hunger and satiety signals the body tries to provide.
Additional advice may include:
Eat real food and watch your carbs. The is preferable over the processed, refined high carb stuff in boxes so that the body can receive the necessary nutrients and carry out required tasks for the body, including the regulation of important hormones. Find out how others keep the weight off with low carb.
Practice stress management techniques. Find one you can enjoy.
Get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep is stressful to the body and stress isn’t conducive to weight management.
Move every day. Cleaning, gardening, dancing, playing with a child, after-meal walks with a partner, and taking the stairs are all ways in which we can move naturally, each day.
Drink enough water. Dehydration is stressful to the body and limits the efficiency of any function it is trying to accomplish.
Address emotional obstacles to self-care. This may involve therapy or just practicing self-awareness by asking oneself honest questions, journaling, or talking with a trusted friend.
Further reading on obesity and weight management:
Weight–Loss Dating Site: Are You Looking for a Weight–Loss Partner?
Study Pinpoints Crucial “Ingredient” to Sustainable Weight–Loss
Life After Gastric Bypass: Is Weight–Loss Worth These Risks?
Researchers Identify Specific Form of Genetic Obesity & Type 2 …
The Root Cause of Obesity
photo credit: NBC News and photo of Danny Cahill-Left: Chris Haston/NBC Universal via Getty; Right: Trae Patton/NBC Universal, via Getty
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