Fitness and Weight Loss Being Updated Through New Research Breakthroughs

Although cases of obesity have been documented throughout human history, the problem has only become a serious issue over the course of the last century. For all intents and purposes, widespread obesity is a relatively new public health challenge, and researchers are still piecing together its origins and causes, as well as the most effective methods to use for weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.

Still, over time, many popular conceptions about weight loss have built up over time, partly as the result of early research efforts, and partly through public speculation, assumptions, and sometimes-misguided beliefs. In some cases, dieters seeking guidance for effective weight loss may actually be sabotaging their own chances of success by sticking to these weight loss ?rules.?

In recent months, several studies have been published that have reversed and revised several longstanding weight loss myths. This week, we?ll take a look at the results of three studies that have challenged the conventional wisdom of weight loss.

Researchers Probe the Effectiveness of Diets as Weight Loss Tools

From a biological point of view, weight loss should be easy. Theoretically, if you eat less and exercise more, you should lose weight. However, anyone who has ever waged a long-term struggle against excess poundage knows that it isn?t always exactly that simple.

For years, many doctors have assumed that patients who weren?t successful in their weight loss efforts weren?t sticking to their prescribed diet and fitness regimens. But recently, researchers began to take a more open-minded approach to the issue of weight loss. Several massive studies have recently looked at the reasons why some people succeed at weight loss, while others face repeated frustration and disappointment.

A group of researchers from the psychology department at the University of California, Los Angeles systematically analyzed the results from a wide array of previous studies of weight-loss diets. Specifically, the UCLA team sought to determine whether diets, on the whole, were effective tools for weight loss.

The results the team uncovered were mixed and inconclusive. In the short-term, dieting efforts were often successful. However, in the long-term, the dieters who maintained any weight loss lost an average of less than 3 pounds. The majority of those who lost weight through dieting actually gained weight in the long-term.

However, the research also determined that some of those long-term dieters that did not sustain significant declines in body weight were able to achieve other health benefits, such as decreased blood pressure, and lessened symptoms and medications for ailments such as Type 2 diabetes and arthritis.

Clearly, this is an area of research that merits further examination. Those struggling with excess weight deserve to have access to the best information possible when it comes to effective dieting techniques. Although somewhat discouraging for dieters, the UCLA team?s findings do provide a helpful jumping-off point for future studies on the subject.

?Yo-Yo? Dieting May Not Be as Harmful as Once Thought, Study Shows

One of the most common beliefs about weight loss is that 'yo-yo dieting? -- moving up and down the scale repeatedly over the course of a lifetime -- can be particularly harmful to health. Many top diet and fitness gurus have repeated this claim, adding that yo-yo dieters risk causing long-term damage to their metabolisms, making successful, permanent weight-loss difficult or impossible.

However, a recent study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Health seems to indicate that the risks long attributed to yo-yo dieting -- or weight cycling, as it is referred to among medical professionals -- may have been overestimated. The research team analyzed the health data of a group of 2500 overweight men and women who were attempting to shed excess pounds on a program that included a restricted-calorie diet.

They found that the program participants fared about the same on the diet whether it was their first, second, third, or even fourth attempt. Men who were repeat dieters showed no signs of metabolic resistance or a slowed weight loss pace, while women who were repeat dieters showed only a very slight difference in comparison to their counterparts who were attempting the program for the first time. All patients experienced similarly positive benefits in terms of other health gains, as well.

Study Affirms Positive Benefits of Lifestyle Changes At Any Age

While the verdict is still out on the long-term benefits of diets as a weight-loss tool, a study conducted by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina proves that even moderate lifestyle changes in later life can result in drastic improvements in overall health, well-being, and quality of life.

In the investigation, the health data of nearly 16,000 men and women who adopted recommended lifestyle changes between the ages of 45 and 64 were tracked and analyzed over a period of nearly 20 years. It was found that people who adopted all four recommended lifestyle changes, including eating maintaining a healthy weight, eating five or more fruits and vegetables every day, abstaining from smoking, and exercising for at least 2 1/2 hours a week exhibited dramatic health benefits, including significantly reduced rates of heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

It?s never too late to make lifestyle changes that can make your life better. Check back each week for more of the research news that will help you fine-tune your own healthy lifestyle.