James W. Anderson, M.D., professor of medicine and clinical nutrition in the UK College of Medicine, consults with Janet Whitaker who is maintaining a loss of 35 pounds following a very low calorie diet.

Anderson reported results for 112 individuals who completed an intensive, VLCD program through the UK (HMR) Weight Management Program. The VLCD program, intended for individuals more than 40 pounds overweight, consists of five weight-loss shakes or three weight-loss shakes and two low-calorie packaged meals each day totaling 800 to 900 calories. These individuals lost an average of 65 pounds over five months and were followed for two to seven years after completing the weight-loss program. On average, these individuals were maintaining 23 percent of their weight loss for more than five years, Anderson said.

Maintaining a weight loss of 5 percent of initial body weight is the criterion used by health authorities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, to assess efficacy of drug treatment for weight loss, and is widely recognized as providing health benefits. Forty percent of the individuals in this study maintained a weight loss of more than 5 percent. At seven years, 25 percent of individuals in this study successfully had maintained a weight loss of 10 percent of their initial body weight.

On average, individuals lose 9 percent of their initial body weight through modest weight-loss programs, while individuals in this study lost 26 percent of initial body weight while on the VLCD program. Although individuals in this study rapidly regained almost 75 percent of their lost weight over three years following the program, this research study showed that their chances of successfully maintaining a loss of 5 percent, or even 10 percent, of their initial body weight were much higher with the VLCD program than with a modest weight-loss program, Anderson said.

Weight losses of 5 to 10 percent of initial body weight are accompanied by significant reductions in risks for developing diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. The advantages of losing 5 to 10 percent of initial body weight offset the disadvantages of losing and then gaining weight, Anderson said.

Regular physical activity, low-fat intake, and eating five servings of fruits and vegetables are central to successful weight maintenance, Anderson said. After completing the VLCD weight-loss program in the UK (HMR) Weight Management Program, individuals are encouraged to participate in a maintenance program for at least 18 months where they learn about how to practice healthy behaviors, including a low-fat, high-fiber diet and regular exercise.

Obesity is a major health problem in the United States and is increasing at epidemic proportions. It carries with it significantly higher risks for developing diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. More than half of American adults are overweight, and obesity accounts for more than 300,000 premature deaths in the United States each year.

The study was funded in part by Health Management Resources (HMR), a provider of weight-loss services to the medical community with headquarters in Boston, Mass., and by the High Carbohydrate and Fiber (HCF) Nutrition Research Foundation.

By Maureen McArthur
and Mary Margaret Colliver