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Investigators in a new study on diet found eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat and cheese were associated with weight loss after six months and again after 30 months.
And after four years, reseachers found that eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat and cheese emerged as the most important predictors for long-term weight loss.
Also found important were eating fewer desserts and fried foods, eating more fish, and eating at restaurants less.
“If the goal is to reduce the burden of obesity, the focus must be on long-term strategies because changes in eating behaviors only associated with short-term weight loss are likely to be ineffective and unsustainable,” concludes Dr. Barone Gibbs, lead investigator from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Health and Physical Activity.
Many people can drop pounds quickly in the early phases of a diet, but studies have found that it is difficult to keep the weight off in the long term.
Dr. Gibbs says “Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when you’ve lost weight.”
Combined with the natural energy expenditure decline in women following menopause, it is extremely difficult for older women to lose weight and maintain weight loss.
Traditional behavioral treatments for obesity, focused on caloric intake, have had poor long-term results. The investigators sought to determine if changes in eating behaviors and selected foods were associated with weight loss at six and 48 months in a group of overweight post-menopausal women.
A total of 508 women were randomized to either a Lifestyle Change group or a Health Education group. The Lifestyle Change group met regularly with nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and psychologists throughout the study. Their goals were to reduce fats and caloric intake, increase consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, and participate in regular moderate exercise.
The Health Education Group was offered seminars by health professionals on general women’s health, but not specifically weight loss.
Eating at restaurants declined at 48 months whether or not subjects lost weight. Dr. Gibbs speculates that this may have been related to economic factors and not relevant to the study.
Dr. Barone Gibbs explains that eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake but that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, "because it’s not as hard to do as giving up French fries forever," she said.
The research is published in the September issue of Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
More Info:
CDC's Tips on adding more vegetables and fruits to diet
NPR Food Blog on vegetables and fruit for weight loss
Many people can drop pounds quickly in the early phases of a diet, but studies have found that it is difficult to keep the weight off in the long term.
Dr. Gibbs says “Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when you’ve lost weight.”
Combined with the natural energy expenditure decline in women following menopause, it is extremely difficult for older women to lose weight and maintain weight loss.
Traditional behavioral treatments for obesity, focused on caloric intake, have had poor long-term results. The investigators sought to determine if changes in eating behaviors and selected foods were associated with weight loss at six and 48 months in a group of overweight post-menopausal women.
A total of 508 women were randomized to either a Lifestyle Change group or a Health Education group. The Lifestyle Change group met regularly with nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and psychologists throughout the study. Their goals were to reduce fats and caloric intake, increase consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, and participate in regular moderate exercise.
The Health Education Group was offered seminars by health professionals on general women’s health, but not specifically weight loss.
Eating at restaurants declined at 48 months whether or not subjects lost weight. Dr. Gibbs speculates that this may have been related to economic factors and not relevant to the study.
Dr. Barone Gibbs explains that eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake but that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, "because it’s not as hard to do as giving up French fries forever," she said.
The research is published in the September issue of Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
More Info:
CDC's Tips on adding more vegetables and fruits to diet
NPR Food Blog on vegetables and fruit for weight loss
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