weight loss and resting metabolic rate
one of the hardest tasks for us and our patients is maintaining weight loss in those who are overweight and obese. A recent NIH study looked at this issue, finding that people who had lost a lot of weight had long-term "metabolic adaptation" leading to a significant lowering of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and much less overall energy expenditure (see obesity wt loss dec RMR obesity2016 in dropbox , or doi:10.1002/oby.21538 ). This study looked at 14 of the 16 "Biggest Loser" competitors from this televised weight-loss competition. details: --baseline: median age 35, 6 men/8 women, weight 149 kg, BMI 49.5 --At the end of the competition (30 weeks), through an aggressive program of diet and exercise, the mean weight loss was 58.3 kg, BMI deceased to 30, and the RMR decreased 610 kcal/day below baseline (this decrease in RMR was expected, as per a multitude of pri...