Fast Initial Weight Loss Linked to Better Long-Term Results
Author: Springer
Published: 2010/05/06 - Updated: 2026/05/08
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Findings
Category Topic: Weight Loss Exercises - Related Publications
Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This research, published in Springer's International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, examines whether fast or slow initial weight loss produces better long-term outcomes for obese adults. Drawing on data from 262 middle-aged women enrolled in the Treatment of Obesity in Underserved Rural Settings (TOURS) trial, Lisa Nackers and colleagues at the University of Florida tracked participants across an 18-month period and compared three groups defined by their first-month weight loss rates. Women who shed weight fastest in the opening weeks were roughly five times more likely to reach the clinically significant 10 percent body weight reduction at 18 months than those who lost weight slowly, and they showed no greater tendency to regain pounds afterward. The findings carry practical value for older adults, people managing mobility-related conditions, and anyone whose health concerns - including diabetes, joint stress, or cardiovascular risk - make sustained weight reduction a meaningful goal, since they push back against the long-held assumption that slow and steady is always the safer route.
- Topic Definition: Rapid Initial Weight Loss
Rapid initial weight loss refers to a noticeably higher rate of body-weight reduction during the opening weeks of a structured obesity treatment or lifestyle program, typically defined in clinical research as losing more than approximately 0.68 kilograms (about 1.5 pounds) per week in the first month. Within behavioral medicine, this early pace is studied as a predictor of longer-term outcomes such as total weight lost, achievement of the clinically significant 10 percent body-weight reduction threshold, and the likelihood of avoiding weight regain over follow-up periods of a year or more.
Introduction
Lose Weight Fast for Lasting Results Suggests New Study
Shape up the quick way - Lose weight fast for lasting results suggests new study.
If you thought the best way to lose and maintain weight was the slow and steady approach, think again. A new study by Lisa Nackers and colleagues, from the University of Florida in the US, suggests that the key to long-term weight loss and maintenance is to lose weight quickly, not gradually, in the initial stages of obesity treatment. Their findings are published online in Springer's International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
Main Content
Successful weight loss in obese individuals is defined as a reduction of 10 percent or more of initial body weight maintained for at least a year. The jury is still out, however, as to whether fast or slow initial weight loss is the best approach for long-term weight control in obese patients.
On the one hand, there is evidence that losing weight slowly initially results in continued weight loss, reduced risk of weight regain, and successful long-term weight loss maintenance.
On the other hand, it has also been shown that the greater the initial weight loss in obese patients, the larger the total weight loss observed longer term.
Nackers and team's study examines the association between rate of initial weight loss and long-term maintenance of lost weight, by looking specifically at whether losing weight at a slow initial rate results in larger long-term weight reduction and less weight regain than losing weight at a fast initial rate.
The authors analyzed data for 262 middle-aged obese women who took part in the Treatment of Obesity in Underserved Rural Settings (TOURS) trial. These women followed a six-month lifestyle program encouraging them to reduce their calorie intake and increase their moderate intensity physical activity to achieve an average weight loss of 0.45kg per week. They were then supported for a further year with an extended care program involving contact twice a month in the form of group sessions, telephone contact or newsletters.
Nackers and team split the women into three groups according to how much weight they lost in the first month of the intervention. Women in the FAST group lost over 0.68kg per week; those in the MODERATE group lost between 0.23 and 0.68kg per week; women in the SLOW group lost less than 0.23kg per week in that first month. The authors then looked at the womens' weight loss at 6 and 18 months, as well as any weight regain.
They found that there were long-term advantages to fast initial weight loss. Fast weight losers lost more weight overall, maintained their weight loss for longer and were not more likely to put weight back on than the more gradual weight losers. In particular, women in the FAST group were five times more likely to achieve the clinically significant 10 percent weight loss at 18 months than those in the SLOW group and those in the MODERATE group were nearly three times more likely to achieve this milestone than women in the SLOW group.
"Our study provides further evidence that, within the context of lifestyle treatment, losing weight at a fast initial rate leads to greater short-term weight reductions, does not result in increased susceptibility to weight regain, and is associated with larger weight losses and overall long-term success in weight management. We suggest that, within lifestyle weight control programs, substantial efforts should be focused on promoting large rather than small behavioral changes during the initial weeks of treatment."
Reference
1 Nackers LM et al (2010). The association between rate of initial weight loss and long-term success in obesity treatment: does slow and steady win the race International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The takeaway from Nackers and her team is not that crash dieting beats sensible eating, but rather that strong early progress within a structured lifestyle program appears to predict better outcomes a year and a half down the road. For readers considering a weight management plan - particularly seniors or those living with chronic conditions where excess weight compounds daily challenges - it is worth discussing the pace of any program with a physician or registered dietitian rather than defaulting to the slowest path on the assumption it is automatically the most durable one.Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Springer and published on 2010/05/06, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.