5 Weight Loss Myths Debunked

5 Weight Loss Myths DebunkedHappy New Year! Once again it’s January and between all that eating and drinking we all indulged in during the celebrating with all our loved ones over the holidays and after being bombarded with all the weight loss programs and fitness centers advertisements, many start thinking about making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Yet, some of the most firmly held beliefs about weight loss concepts promoted in the popular media are unproven or downright untrue.

In a recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine titled: Myths, Presumption, and Facts about Obesity the author, Dr Krista Casazza, PhD, RD, from the Dept. of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama, stated that: “False and scientifically unsupported beliefs about obesity are pervasive in both scientific literature and the popular press.”

Here are 5 common myths about obesity and weight loss that are scientifically unsupported:

  1. Small changes in food intake and/or exercise will produce large, long term weight changes. This idea is based on that thirty-five hundred kilocalories equals a pound of weight, however it does not take into account that, as weight is lost it takes increasingly more exercise and reduced intake to continue the loss.
  2. Realistic weight-loss goals will keep people motivated. This idea seems reasonable, but it is not supported by evidence. In fact, several studies have shown that people with very ambitious goals lose more weight (example: TV’s The Biggest Loser). As in, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”~Les Brown.
  3. Slow, gradual weight loss is best for long-term success. Published research of randomized, controlled weight-loss trials found that, rapid weight loss from a very-low-calorie diets resulted in significantly more weight loss at 6 months and differences in weight loss lasted up to 18 months. (Int J Behav Med. 2010;17:161-167).
  4. Eating breakfast prevents obesity. All though not recommended, published studies have shown no effect of eating versus skipping breakfast.
  5. Adding fruits and vegetables to the diet results in weight loss. Eating fruits and vegetables is definitely healthy, however, adding more calories of any type without making any other changes is likely to cause weight gain.

Here are 5 facts about obesity and weight loss that are supported by scientific data:

  1. Moderate environmental changes can promote as much weight loss as potentially dangerous weight-loss drugs and/or surgery.
  2. Diets that reduce the total amount of calories produce weight loss, but attempting to diet and telling someone to diet are not necessarily the same thing.
  3. Physical activity does help in promoting weight loss and has health benefits even in the absence of weight loss.
  4. For overweight children, involving the family and home environment in weight-loss efforts is ideal.
  5. Providing actual meals or meal replacements works better for weight loss than does general advice about food choices.

I hope this post sheds some light about the myths versus facts about obesity and weight loss, and if you have any additional information about this topic or have any additional questions, please feel free to comment below.

About Dr Jon P Heins

I grew up in Linden, NJ. I graduated from Linden High School in 1989 and continued my education at Montclair State University where I received a Bachelor's Degree in Biology in 1994. I then earned my Doctorate of Chiropractic (with Honors) at Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, GA in 1997, while completing a Physiotherapy Certification at Brenau College in Gainesville, GA in 1996, completed the National Board of Chiropractic Examinations Parts I, II, III and PT in 1996, and was Honored in the 1996 (19th edition) and 1997 (20th edition) National Dean’s List. I then completed the New Jersey Board of Chiropractic Examination and obtained my NJ license to practice in 1998. I then held two Associate Chiropractic Physician positions at personal injury practices located in Hillside and Jersey City, NJ. Have been been qualified as an expert witness and have testified in various civil tort cases in Essex and Hudson counties, until purchasing Belvidere Chiropractic Center in 2000. I am currently an active member of the Association of NJ Chiropractor’s (ANJC) and the Association of NJ Chiropractor’s Sports Council (ANJCSC). As well as a local Adopt-a-Family Annual Toy Drive sponsor. It was as a young child that I learned about Chiropractic and how it helped with my headaches. I was four years old when I started to get headaches a couple times a week. My father took me to his Chiropractor and it helped. My father remembers me going in and coming out a different kid. I know that Chiropractic helped me, and knew then that I would help other people through Chiropractic care. I am happily married to his wife Michelle, and have a beautiful daughter, Aliyah. When I'm not in the office, I love to spend time with my family. We enjoy going traveling, hiking, swimming, spending time outside, reading, watching movies, and listening to music, and we all receive weekly chiropractic adjustments including my baby daughter.
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