Weight loss experts have revealed that slimmers aiming to maintain their weight loss should target 8,500 steps per day, according to new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey.
Study Highlights the Importance of Daily Step Count
Scientists analyzing a group of individuals combining diet and exercise versus those dieting alone or receiving no intervention found that daily step count was a critical factor in avoiding weight regain. The study, also set to be published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, examined 14 existing studies involving 3,758 participants with an average age of 53 who were overweight or obese, from countries including the UK, US, Australia, and Japan.
Professor Marwan El Ghoch from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, who led the research, stated: "Around 80% of people with overweight or obesity who initially lose weight tend to put some or all of it back on again within three to five years. The identification of a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of huge clinical value."
Study Design and Findings
Professor El Ghoch and colleagues in Italy and Lebanon examined 14 existing studies to identify patterns. Of the participants, 1,987 were following lifestyle modification programmes incorporating healthy eating and increased walking, while 1,771 served as a control group dieting independently or receiving no intervention. The programmes included a weight loss stage followed by a weight maintenance stage aimed at sustaining weight loss over the longer term. Daily step counts were recorded at the start, at the end of the weight loss stage (averaging 7.9 months), and at the end of the weight maintenance stage (averaging 10.3 months).
Both groups had similar step counts at the outset (7,280 in the lifestyle group and 7,180 in the comparison group), indicating comparable activity levels. Researchers discovered that the control group neither increased their step count nor lost weight at any point. In contrast, those following lifestyle advice boosted their daily step count to 8,454 by the end of the weight loss stage, shedding an average of 4.39% of their body weight (approximately 4 kg). By the end of the weight maintenance stage, these participants were still achieving 8,241 steps per day and maintained most of their weight loss, with average weight loss at the trials' conclusion standing at 3.28% (approximately 3 kg).
Researchers concluded there was a distinct correlation between increasing daily steps and preventing weight regain, though during the weight loss stage, reduced calorie consumption played the most significant role.
Expert Recommendations
Professor El Ghoch advised: "Participants should be always encouraged to increase their step count to approximately 8,500 a day during the weight loss phase and sustain this level of physical activity during the maintenance phase to help prevent them from regaining weight. Increasing the number of steps walked to 8,500 each day is a simple and affordable strategy to prevent weight regain."
