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May 24

Key to long-term weight loss for post-menopausal women may …

Long Term Weight Loss Comments Off on Key to long-term weight loss for post-menopausal women may …

The Therapeutic Lifestyle Change Diet certainly isn't a fad diet - it's endorsed by the National Institutes of Health. U.S. News says the diet is heart healthy, since it was designed to lower cholesterol levels. But will the low-fat, low-calorie, low-cholesterol, eating plan help you lose weight? Research suggests that it will, though that's not it's primary goal. Score: 3.0 istockphoto

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What's on the list of foods to avoid and items to chow down on? It's relatively simple: Eating less sugar, meats and cheeses and consuming more fruits and vegetables were shown to help long-term weight loss.

"With more than one-third of all Americans considered obese, it's clear that standard behavioral obesity treatment is producing poor long-term results," lead investigator Bethany Barone Gibbs, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh's department of health and physical activity, said in the university press release. "We found that some important behaviors differ for long-term versus short-term weight control among women in their 50s and 60s, who are already at higher risk for weight gain."

Traditionally, women are told to watch their calorie intake to lose weight, which may not be sustainable for long periods of time. Because post-menopausal women have a natural energy expenditure decline, it's even harder for them to lose and maintain weight.

"Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate," Gibbs said in the news release. "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."

Investigators looked at 481 obese and overweight post-menopausal women who had a waist size of more than 31.5 inches. Some of the group was instructed to join a lifestyle change group, which met regularly with nutritionists, exercise physiologists and psychologists. They were instructed to reduce total, saturated and trans fat along with cholesterol from meat, dairy, fats, oils, baked goods, and snacks; reduce energy intake and increase foods high in soluble fiber. Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and items high in plant stanols/sterols known to lower cholesterol and omega-3 fatty acids like fish were also encouraged. Exercise toward the minimum goal of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise a week was slowly introduced. If the participant wanted to, they were given tips on how to increase their exercise to up to 240 minutes per week.

The others were given the option of attending a health education group in which healthcare professionals educated the subjects on women's health, with no specific attention towards weight loss.

Weight was recorded at six months and 48 months. On average, the women in the lifestyle change group lost 8 pounds over the four years. In comparison, the women in the health education group lost only half a pound. However, 57 percent of the intervention participants and 29 percent of controls had maintained at least a five-pound weight loss.

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