The challenge of weight loss maintenance in obesity: a review of the evidence on the best strategies available

Abstract

Long-term weight loss maintenance represents a big challenge for the management of obesity. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of the main endocrine mechanisms involved in weight regain in subjects with obesity and to review the current evidence on the best lifestyle approaches, including diet and physical activity. Weight regain after weight loss occurs in about 50% of subjects with obesity in the absence of lifestyle changes. The primary endocrine mechanism responsible for weight regain involves the brain-gut axis, which encourages food intake and thus weight regain through the secretion and action of several gastrointestinal hormones, such as ghrelin, leptin and cholecystokinin. Several evidence reported changes of secretion of these hormones during weight loss and weight loss maintenance programs. Endurance training is the most effective physical activity to lose and keep weight loss; the association of endurance with resistance training is recommended for remodelling body shape.

Keywords:

• Obesity
• weight loss maintenance
• diet
• physical activity
• nutritionist

Acknowledgements

The assistance of the staff is gratefully appreciated.

Author contributions

The authors’ responsibilities were as follows: LB and CS: were responsible for the concept of this paper and drafted the manuscript; GP, DL, EFT, SS, AC, GM: provided a critical review of the paper. All authors contributed to and agreed on the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).