| We have all heard the bad news time and again: | | | | programs even seemed to support the statistic, |
| Those who lose weight have a 95 percent chance of | | | | even though they drew their subject base from the |
| gaining it back. It is the most quoted statistic in | | | | most difficult cases, not a random sampling, and no |
| obesity literature. But is there any truth to the | | | | control groups were ever maintained. |
| adage? Is it really almost impossible to build muscle, | | | | Today, obesity researchers are much more cautious |
| lose fat, and never gain weight back? | | | | about making generalizations regarding weight-loss |
| One professor at the University of Pennsylvania says | | | | recidivism. Most will tell you that it is impossible to |
| there is no basis for the claim in science. "It is part of | | | | predict success or failure rates with any degree of |
| the mythology of obesity," he claims. "That 95 | | | | accuracy. In truth, nobody has a solid idea what |
| percent figure has become clinical lore." | | | | percent of people are capable of losing weight and |
| In all fairness, there actually was a clinical study upon | | | | keeping it off. |
| which the number is based. It was conducted in 1959 | | | | What can be agreed on, however, is that if you set |
| at a nutrition center within a New York hospital. The | | | | out to lose fat, your odds of long-term success are |
| study showed that weight-loss recidivism affected 95 | | | | greatly enhanced if you follow ten simple steps. They |
| percent of the people who underwent treatment. Its | | | | are: |
| final report concluded: "Most obese persons will not | | | | 1. Make health (not weight loss) the main goal |
| stay in treatment, most will not lose weight, and of | | | | 2. Reduce the amount of fats you consume |
| those who do lose weight, most will regain it." | | | | 3. Decrease your carb intake |
| The biggest problem with that conclusion, of course, | | | | 4. Eat more dietary fiber |
| was the meaninglessly small sample upon which it | | | | 5. Eat more vegetables |
| was based. Only 100 people took part in the study. | | | | 6. Don't get discouraged by plateaus (they are |
| The amount of data derived was not sufficient to | | | | natural) and seem to happen to everyone |
| support such sweeping conclusions. | | | | 7. Don't keep switching food types that you |
| Nonetheless, in subsequent years, the "95 percent" | | | | consume. Don't focus on just one type and keep a |
| finding was referenced in scholarly journals and at | | | | balance |
| medical conferences, so often, in fact, that the | | | | 8. Don't rush weight loss (permanence is the goal) |
| research community began to regard it as accurate. | | | | 9. Increase your metabolic rate |
| Later results produced by hospital and university | | | | 10. |