Rigorous weight loss regimen can go wrong in longer run

Ask Malhotra, a 40-year-old housewife from Delhi, about the “Biggest Loser” competition and she would tell you how her mad obsession with weight loss had left her high and dry. Overweight at 100 kg, Malhotra used to be a big fan of The Biggest Loser, an American competition reality show which features obese or overweight contestants competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight. Everything was fine until she was a mere viewer.

It was a winter afternoon of 2015 when watching the episodes of the “Biggest Loser”, Malhotra too decided to transform herself the Biggest Loser way.And she started to follow their intense ways of workout and dieting. Luckily to her, she could not continue for long, thanks to the muscle aches and other associated problems. But not all are so lucky and they have to face the aftermaths of rigorous routine of weight loss.

A study published in the journal Obesity has challenged the longevity of the results that contestants have achieved during their 30-week stint with the The Biggest Loser. The study conducted on 14 of the show’s contestants who had participated in the show six years ago revealed the current their weight statistics.

And to the shock of many, they have all nowregained most of the pounds that they had shed after days of blood, sweat, and tears. The contestants were also found to have significantly slower metabolic rates in comparison to people who were never overweight, probably due to drastic weight loss. The phenomenon, also called as “metabolic adaptation, is perceived to be body’s mechanism to manage weight loss and regain the lost weight.

“Weight loss tend to slow down the Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), the rate at which you burn energy or calories when resting. Faster the weight loss, slower the RMR. Simply put, people who have rapidly lost weight through rigorous physical activities, extensive workouts and dieting are expected to gain more weight as compare to others from same diet and drinking and physical activity,” says Dr Ravikant K ,Bariatric and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon, Endocare Hospital, Vijaywada.

Surprisingly, while the contestants of the Bigger Loser have been found to regain substantial weightafter 6 years of competition, amatched group of gastric bypass surgery patients with significant metabolic adaptation 6 months after the surgeryhad no detectable metabolic adaptation after 1 year despite continuedweight loss.

The Biggest Loser may be an attractive proposition for people who want to lose weight for money but losing weight in 30-weeks through intense means may not be a great idea from overall health’s perspective. As the study suggests,intense workouts accompanied by dieting and skipping meals can help you shed a few pounds in some quick time but it is neither healthy nor effective in the longer run. Also, it’s not possible to continue with such a hardship for a longer time. Therefore, it is better to find a stable and effective solution to obesity.

Many studies recommend bariatric study as an effective treatment option to treat obesity thereby improving quality of life, managing comorbid conditions and decreasing overall cost of care. An effective and sustainable technique tolose weight,bariatric surgerycan be considered by patients with a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 40 kg/m2;peoplehaving a BMI between 35 and 40 who are suffering from obesity-related diseases; and individuals for whom other weight loss strategies haven’t worked.

A number of different techniques of bariatric surgery are currently available to patients. However, the most effective procedures are performed laparoscopically and include sleeve gastrectomy (SG), laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB)
Bariatric procedures are primarily aimed at reducing the intake of food by physically restricting the gastric capacities of the body.

And they have worked wonders in achieving significant weight loss, managing weight-related comorbidities, and improving quality of life in comparison to conventional treatments. However, forlong-term weight loss in patients following bariatric surgery, it is important tostay in touch with a qualified health professional for regular and supportive management,” concludes Dr Ravikant.