%0 Journal Article %J Obesity (Silver Spring) %D 2016 %T Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after "The Biggest Loser" competition. %A Fothergill, Erin %A Guo, Juen %A Howard, Lilian %A Kerns, Jennifer C %A Knuth, Nicolas D %A Brychta, Robert %A Chen, Kong Y %A Skarulis, Monica C %A Walter, Mary %A Walter, Peter J %A Hall, Kevin D %K Absorptiometry, Photon %K Adult %K Basal Metabolism %K Body composition %K Body Mass Index %K Body Weight %K Female %K Follow-Up Studies %K Humans %K Male %K Middle Aged %K Obesity, Morbid %K Weight Loss %X

OBJECTIVE: To measure long-term changes in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and body composition in participants of "The Biggest Loser" competition.

METHODS: Body composition was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and RMR was determined by indirect calorimetry at baseline, at the end of the 30-week competition and 6 years later. Metabolic adaptation was defined as the residual RMR after adjusting for changes in body composition and age.

RESULTS: Of the 16 "Biggest Loser" competitors originally investigated, 14 participated in this follow-up study. Weight loss at the end of the competition was (mean ± SD) 58.3 ± 24.9 kg (P < 0.0001), and RMR decreased by 610 ± 483 kcal/day (P = 0.0004). After 6 years, 41.0 ± 31.3 kg of the lost weight was regained (P = 0.0002), while RMR was 704 ± 427 kcal/day below baseline (P < 0.0001) and metabolic adaptation was -499 ± 207 kcal/day (P < 0.0001). Weight regain was not significantly correlated with metabolic adaptation at the competition's end (r = -0.1, P = 0.75), but those subjects maintaining greater weight loss at 6 years also experienced greater concurrent metabolic slowing (r = 0.59, P = 0.025).

CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic adaptation persists over time and is likely a proportional, but incomplete, response to contemporaneous efforts to reduce body weight.

%B Obesity (Silver Spring) %V 24 %P 1612-9 %8 2016 Aug %G eng %U http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21538/abstract %N 8 %1

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27136388?dopt=Abstract

%R 10.1002/oby.21538