Study: Hormones Undermine Weight Loss

If you lose a lot of weight, hormones in your body will increase your appetite for at least the next year, a new study finds. The study included 50 overweight or obese adults. Researchers put them on a strict diet. They could have no more than 550 calories a day. They used a meal replacement plan and also ate vegetables. This lasted 8 weeks. For the next 2 weeks, they gradually began eating normal foods again. The goal was to lose at least 10% of body weight. In all, 34 people managed to do that and stuck with the study through a year of follow-up. On average, they lost 30 pounds. People got advice on how to maintain their new weight. But a year later, they had gained back an average of 12 pounds. They also had changes in blood hormones that affect appetite. All of these changes were likely to increase hunger.