Even small amounts of weight loss may lead to meaningful improvements in physical and mental health

Moderate weight loss (losing between 5-10% of body weight) has been recommended by health officials for individuals with excess weight. This percent of weight loss has been considered the benchmark for acheiving additional health outcomes. However, our research has found that even losing a small amount of weight - less than 5% of body weight - may still improve health in more ways than expected. 

Our researchers looked across 70 studies including more than 15,000 people to understand whether modest weight loss actually makes a difference. Health improvements were considered positive changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, mood, inflammation, and overall wellbeing. Most studies showed some level of improvement, with 85% of participants reporting improvements across these markers, even with modest weight loss. 

Our findings suggest that the health benefits caused by low-level weight loss should not be overlooked. Even modest weight loss may meaningfully improve an individual’s health, challenging the conventional assertion that greater than 5% of weight loss must be achieved to see improvements in health. 

Read our full research findings here. 

LinkThe NIHR Policy Research Unit in Healthy Weight is part of the NIHR and hosted by UCL.

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