Recently the media was all a buzz over new research which concluded that “The Biggest Loser” contestants not only gained their weight back but now had slower resting body metabolism.1 This of course is not the reality which those struggling to lose weight would like to achieve, especially after all of the grueling hours spent exercising and dieting. The weight-loss and dieting problems experienced by “The Biggest Loser” contestants bring attention to the need for new approaches to weight-loss and control.
Kevin Hall, a federal research scientist, decided to follow the contestants of the reality TV show for six years to discover their fate.1 He found that not only did they have slower resting body metabolism, but they also had lower levels of leptin, an appetite suppressing hormone. The change in body chemistry caused the former contestants to be constantly hungry. However, now with slower resting body metabolism, they also required far fewer calories to maintain their goal weight than a typical person their size. Additionally, Hall discovered that the body works very hard to get back to its original weight before the weight was lost. This is not that surprising since the body has many mechanisms to maintain homeostasis. Unfortunately, maintaining weight ultimately proved to be a losing battle for the contestants. Not only did they gain the weight back, but some now weigh even more.
Prior to Hall’s study, it had actually been known that “The Biggest Loser” contestants where not able to maintain the weight they had lost during the show. This is a prime example of what happens when people diet. The fact is, diets ultimately don’t work. The majority of people eventually go back to their same negative diet and lifestyle behaviors.
Obesity and weight-loss is very complex, and even after many years of scientific research we still don’t have all of the answers. The pathogenesis of obesity is considered to be overeating (greater energy input than output).2(364) It seems to be this simple, but it isn’t. Often for weight-loss, the emphasis is placed on the amount of calories a person consumes. But, this is not
