Study Reveals Weight Loss Chances Of Food Diary Users Are Likely To Increase Twofold
Date: 7th August 2008
A large-scale weight loss study spells out the importance of storing a food diary by strikingly revealing that among those who undergo dieting, the people who take down everything they eat on a daily basis are prone to undergo twice weight loss in comparison to those who don’t use a food diary.
According to sources, the study was undertaken by enrolling 1,685 overweight/obese adults with an average weight of 212 pounds, they were told to undergo weight loss of around 9 pounds in the first six months. Altogether, these weight loss enthusiasts were provided around 20 weight loss group sessions leaded by behavior counselors and nutritionists on a weekly basis and were told to eat fruits as well as vegetables. The participants were also instructed to undertake moderate physical activity extending to around 180 minutes, take around 500 fewer calories on a daily basis and to maintain diary records of daily food intake and exercising.
As soon as the study came to a close, it became evident that the weight loss enthusiasts who used a diary to monitor their weight loss regimen for six or more days on a weekly basis, had successfully lost an average weight of 18 pounds in 6 months while the participants who didn’t use food diaries had only undergone a weight loss of 9 pounds.
Forty-four percent of the participants were African-Americans and the results obtained from the study made it apparent that around 59% black women and 69% black men lost an amount of 9 pounds. However, the study results also revealed that the participants who triggered off the highest amount of weight loss had attended more group meetings and had also undertaken more physical exercise. Some of the people enrolled in the study were found to undertake physical activity of 300 minutes or duration on a weekly basis. But the average participant enrolled in the study was found to undertake physical activity of only 117 minutes on a weekly basis.
According to Victor Stevens, a senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, food diaries are considered to be a strong self-management method and they can adequately assist in finding the source of extra calories in people.
This specific weight loss study was sponsored by “The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute” and the results appeared in the “American Journal of Preventive Medicine.”
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/ |
