Study Finds 8500 Daily Steps Linked to Preventing Weight Regain

People aiming to sustain weight loss after dieting should target approximately 8500 steps daily, according to new research. The study found a clear link between increasing step count and preventing weight regain, particularly when comparing groups who combined dieting with exercise against those who only dieted or received no intervention.

The findings are being presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey, and are slated for publication in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Researchers conducted an analysis of 14 existing studies on the subject to identify recurring themes. These studies collectively involved 3758 individuals, all classified as overweight or obese, with an average age of 53, drawn from countries including the UK, US, Australia, and Japan. Overall, 1987 people were on lifestyle modification programmes, including eating healthily and walking more.

Another 1771 people were either dieting alone or not receiving any treatment and acted as the comparison group. The programmes had a weight loss phase, followed by a weight maintenance phase, where the aim was to keep the weight off in the long term.

A person’s daily number of steps was measured at the start of the trials, at the end of the weight loss phase after an average of 7.9 months and at the end of the weight maintenance phase after an average of 10.3 months.

Both groups of patients were found to have a similar step count at the start, 7280 in the lifestyle group and 7180 in the comparison group, indicating that they had similar lifestyles. The control group did not increase their number of steps and did not lose weight at any time.

In contrast, the group following the lifestyle advice programmes increased their step count to 8454 a day by the end of the weight loss phase, losing 4.39 per cent of their body weight on average, or around 4kg.

At the end of the weight maintenance phase, these people were still walking 8241 steps per day and kept off most of the weight they had lost, with average weight loss at end of trials being 3.28 per cent, or around 3kg. Researchers concluded there was a clear link between increasing step count and preventing weight regain, though during the weight loss phase it was reduced calorie intake that seemed to play the biggest role.

“Participants should be always encouraged to increase their step count to approximately 8500 a day during the weight loss phase and sustain this level of physical activity during the maintenance phase to help prevent them from regaining weight.”

Increasing the number of steps walked to 8500 each day is described as a simple and affordable strategy to prevent weight regain. Around 80 per cent of people with overweight or obesity who initially lose weight tend to put some or all of it back on again within three to five years, according to the study lead.