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In obese patients, 5% weight loss leads to considerable health benefits

Even moderate, 5% weight loss among obese patients brings several significant health benefits, including improved metabolic function in multiple organs, according to data published in Cell Metabolism.

“Most [obesity] treatment guidelines, including those recently proposed by several major medical and scientific societies, recommend moderate weight loss of 5% to 10% to achieve improvements in metabolic function and health outcomes,” Faidon Magkos, MSc, PhD, of the Center for Human Nutrition and Atkins Center of Excellence in Obesity Medicine, at the Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis, and colleagues wrote. “However, it is much easier to achieve a 5% weight loss than it is to achieve a 10% weight loss, so it is important to understand the cardiometabolic benefits that occur with a 5% weight loss and what additional benefits, if any, can be expected with more weight loss in people with obesity.”

To determine the benefits of 5% weight loss on cardiometabolic outcomes, as well as the effects of additional, 10% and 15% weight loss, the researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial including 40 sedentary men and women with BMI of at least 37.9 ± 4.3 kg/m². Half of the participants were randomly placed into a weight-loss group, and the remainder were assigned to weight maintenance therapy.

All participants in the weight-loss group were required to lose 5% of their weight. Subsequently, half of them were then assigned to continue, to 10% and then 15% of their initial body weight. Then, a 3-week weight maintenance diet was prescribed before the researchers performed repeat testing. Participants were examined at baseline and after 6 months in the weight maintenance group, and after targeted weight loss in the weight-loss group.

According to the researchers, 5% weight loss improved adipose tissue, liver and muscle insulin sensitivity and β cell function, without a coinciding change in systemic or subcutaneous adipose tissue markers or inflammation. Additional weight loss brought further improved β cell function and muscle insulin sensitivity. It also caused stepwise changes in adipose tissue mass, intrahepatic triglyceride content, and adipose tissue expression of genes in remodeling, and oxidative stress.

“The results from the present study demonstrate the profound therapeutic effects of weight loss on metabolic function and other risk factors for cardiometabolic disease in people with obesity,” Magkos and colleagues wrote. “Even a moderate 5% weight loss has considerable health benefits, including decreased [intra-abdominal adipose tissue] volume, [intrahepatic triglyceride] content, systolic blood pressure and plasma triglyceride concentration and increased multi-organ insulin sensitivity and β cell function.” – by Jason Laday

Disclosure: Researcher Samuel Klein, of the Center for Human Nutrition and Atkins Center of Excellence in Obesity Medicine, at the Washington University School of Medicine, reports being a shareholder of Aspire Bariatrics, and that he has served on scientific advisory boards for Takeda Pharmaceuticals and NovoNordisk.