Recent research tests a new strategy to prevent vacation weight gain and proposes a psychological mechanism that explains why the strategy may work.
Research shows that, on average, we gain between 0.4 and 1 kilogram of weight per year . Although this may seem like a small amount to us, persistent weight gain can lead to obesity over time.
Most of us are familiar with gaining weight on vacation. Now a new study published in the journal Obesity s ugiere that weigh ourselves every day could be an effective way to prevent weight gain.
Weight loss strategies
For their study, the researchers recruited 111 adults who were between the ages of 18 and 65. Participants were weighed with varying degrees of frequency between mid-November 2017 and early January 2018. Participants were asked to complete three visits: one just before the holiday season, one immediately after, and the third 14 weeks later. . They also asked the volunteers to use a Likert scale to rate how often they weighed themselves.
During the study, the researchers asked the participants to try to maintain their starting weight during the study period, but did not offer any advice on how to do so. Therefore, each participant was free to choose the method they wanted, whether it was exercise or diet.
The researchers compared their results with a control group that received no instruction.
At the end of the study period, those who weighed themselves each day and obtained a graphical representation of their weight changes maintained the same weight as they had at the beginning or even lost weight.
“Maybe they exercise a little more the next day (after seeing weight gain), or they watch what they are eating more carefully,” says Jamie Cooper, from the Department of Food and Nutrition at the University of Georgia (USA). USA).
In contrast, participants who did not weigh themselves every day gained weight.
Self-perception is key to losing weight
Michelle vanDellen, co-author of the study, explains the psychological mechanisms that could be at play behind these results: “People are really sensitive to discrepancies or differences between their current self and their standard or goal. When they see that discrepancy, they tend to lead to a change in behavior. Weighing oneself acts in a really clear way in behavior . “
“Replication in larger studies with more diverse participants would help determine the generalizability of this approach to preventing weight gain,” says Susan Yanovski, an obesity researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
“Vacations and holidays are probably the two times of the year when people are most susceptible to weight gain in a very short period of time,” Cooper concludes. “Holidays can have a huge impact on anyone’s long-term health.”
Thus, this experiment shows that weighing yourself every day on vacation could be a good tool to prevent weight gain.
Referencia: Daily Self‐Weighing to Prevent Holiday‐Associated Weight Gain in Adults. Sepideh Kaviani , Michelle vanDellen , Jamie A. Cooper . First published: 22 May 2019 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22454
