Weight Loss: The More the Merrier
Dr. Arne Astrup of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and his colleagues analyzed data from weight loss groups that participated in weight loss trials that spanned 22 weight loss centers in five different countries. These groups consisted of between four and 85 participants each. The total number of participants was about 600 people.
All of the study participants in the trials were told to follow a diet that contained between 800 and 1000 calories per day (significantly lower than the 1600-2400 calories that non-dieting individuals eat daily). The study was two months long.
The average weight of the study participant at the beginning of the study was 242 pounds. At the end of the study, participants had lost an average of 24 pounds, or 10% of their body weight. The actual percentages of weight loss by the weight loss groups varied by center from six to 12 percent.
After looking over the data, researchers found that for every additional ten people signed up for a weight loss study, participants lost half of a percent more weight. This may sound like a small amount, but for the average 242 pound study participant, this yielded an additional 1.21 pound weight loss for every additional 10 people in their group.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, "The idea to investigate such a link came to the team of Danish and Belgian researchers after they noticed the relative performance of weight loss, or bariatric, surgeons. Those who have more experience, they write in the journal Obesity, tend to provide safer and more effective treatments.
Weight loss centre size may reflect quality of care in a similar way, Astrup told Reuters Health by email. He noted that investigators, study coordinators and dieticians working at weight loss centres serving large numbers of participants would tend to be more experienced than those at smaller centres."
While two months is a short period of time to study weight loss, the preliminary results give researchers several topics to look into further. Is it the size of the group, the experience of the experts or some other factor that leads to a greater weight loss for overweight individuals?
Whatever the reason, it appears that a larger weight loss center can help you shed more weight than a smaller center. If you have the choice, go for the bigger center. You'll lose more weight there!
Published by Katie D
Katie has been a freelance writer since 2007. She has published articles on several websites such as LIVESTRONG and eHow, as well as her work on Associated Content. View profile
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