Physical activity associated with 1.8 lbs weight loss over 4 years

Subjects: 120,877 U.S. women and men

The findings are based on data from three large, long-term government-funded trials looking at diet, lifestyle and health in adults: the Nurses’ Health Study, which has tracked 121,701 women since 1976; the Nurses’ Health Study II, which has followed 116,686 women since 1989; and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which includes 51,529 men enrolled in 1986.

The new analysis involves 20 years of data on 120,877 men and women from these three cohorts. Researchers tracked changes in participants’ eating and lifestyle habits—and weight—every four years.

Average weight gain over 4 years: 3.4 lbs or 2.4%

The average 4-year weight gain in this study was 3.4 pounds or 2.4 percent of their body weight.

Comments from Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian

“For diet, conventional wisdom often recommends ‘everything in moderation,’ with a focus only on total calories consumed,” says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and lead author of the study.

“Our results demonstrate that the quality of the diet — the types of food and beverages that one consumes — is strongly linked to weight gain.”

“Small dietary and other lifestyle changes can together make a big difference — for bad or good,” says Mozaffarian.

“That makes it very easy to gradually gain weight unintentionally, but also means that a little bit of attention to a handful of dietary and other lifestyle changes can prevent this.”

Study’s Limitations: self-reported portion size, and were white, educated adults

The study limitations included that it relied on self-reported portion size and used different serving sizes between foods.

The study was also of mostly white, educated adults.

Other Research

Here are links to other articles posted prior to this about the effect of physical activity on body weight.

• An additional hour of exercise reduce the risk of becoming obese by 6% according to Italian study
• People who have successfully maintained weight loss exercised an average of 42 minutes per day
• Average weight loss 22 lbs in 4-month studies in diet studies; 13-18 lbs maintained after one year
• 32% of overweight US men pursued diet and exercise to lose weight vs 60% who pursued just one
• 39% of overweight US women pursued diet and exercise to lose weight vs 74% who pursued just one
• 44% of people who were told they were overweight by their doctor exercised vs 34% not told
• 41% of people who were told they were overweight by their doctor dieted & exercised vs 30% not told
• Treadmill burns 40 percent more calories than a stationary bike
• Women and exercise: Vigorous exercise, 26% body fat vs no exercise, 33% body fat
• Exercise: Effects on weight are modest [Exercise alone causes only modest weight loss of 2 to 4 pounds]
• Exercise does not increase food intake
• Maintaining fat loss difficult even with exercise
• Exercise: 60-90 minutes to prevent weight regain
• People who had lost 10% and were sedentary were 1.8 as likely to have regained 5%
• Women who lost at least 10% of their body weight ate 1365 calories and exercised 48 minutes per day
• 6 month weight loss with 25-45 minutes of exercise per day was 2.2 to 4.5 lbs
• One-year weight loss with 25-45 minutes of exercise per day was 1.3 to 5.5 lbs
• 1.5 year weight loss with 25-45 minutes of exercise per day was 1.3 to 5.5 lbs
• Walking an additional 2000 steps per day reduced waist size by roughly one inch
• People who had lost 10% and exercised less than recommended were 1.8 as likely to have regained 5%
• No evidence that weight lifting is effective for weight loss: American College of Sports Medicine
• Exercise of 30-60 minutes per day promotes weight loss of roughly 11-17 lbs
• Exercise of more than 150 minutes per week promotes weight loss of roughly 4-7 lbs
• Exercise of 150-250 minutes per week will prevent weight gain greater than 3% in most adults
• Exercise of less than 150 minutes per week promotes little weight loss
• Exercise of 30-45 minutes per day may help to maintain weight loss, and ‘more is better’
• Exercise alone causes weight loss of only 2.5 lbs in 3 months
• Diet plus multiple bouts on a treadmill daily caused weight loss of 16.3 lbs vs 8-13 lbs for walkers
• Obese, physically active men 44% greater risk of death than the most active lean men
• Lean, physically inactive men 54% greater risk of death than the most active lean men
• Obese, physically inactive men 81% greater risk of death than the most active lean men
• Obese, physically active men 65% greater risk of death than most active lean men after adjustments
• Obese, physically active men 65% greater risk of death than most active lean men after adjustments
• Lean, physically inactive men 115% greater risk of death than most active lean men after adjustments
• Overweight/obese inactive men 104% greater risk of death than lean active men after adjustments
• Diet-plus-exercise causes 2.5 lbs more weight loss than diet alone
• Women who engage in 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise per day weigh 8-11 lbs less
• Children who spend more time outdoors 27-41% less likely to overweight
• People who wore pedometers increased daily steps from 6779 to 8855
• Diet and exercise caused weight loss of 8.5% after six months, 4% after four years
• People who exercised 150 minutes per week lost an average of 5.3 pounds after 6 months
• Aerobic exercise reduces risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by 34%
• Resistance training reduces risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by 39%
• Maximum weight loss with exercise seen after 6 months
• Only 25% of US children engage in regular exercise, 15% do not exercise
• Exercising multiple times per day better at reducing the effects of a high-fat diet
• Physical inactivity increases risk of obesity 3.9-fold and abdominal obesity 4.8-fold
• Obese women could burn an additional 300 calories per day if they stood more, sat less
• Children who engage in 15 minutes of vigorous exercise are 81% less likely to be overweight

REFERENCE

Mozaffarian D, Hao T, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men. N Engl J Med. 2011 Jun 23, 364(25):2392-404.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH
665 Huntington Ave, Bldg. 2-319
Boston, MA 02115 USA
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Exercise

• Foods associated with higher and lower body weight

• Foods Associated with Weight Gain