A study of 14 participants in the Biggest Loser TV show indicates that plenty of physical activity — “much more of it than public health guidelines suggest” — is the key to preventing weight gain after significant weight loss, says the New York Times. “On average, those who managed to maintain a significant weight loss had 80 minutes a day of moderate activity, like walking, or 35 minutes a day of vigorous exercise, like running.”
By contrast, the CDC recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise for healthy adults. The lead author of the study, Dr. Kevin Hall of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, says the study is the first to use state of the art methods to measure food consumption and physical exercise among obese people years after they lost weight. The study checked the 14 participants four times over six years.
“One consequence of weight loss among the ‘Biggest Loser’ participants was a greatly slowed metabolism,” said the Times. That meant they have exercise a lot to keep their bodies from regaining weight.