Highlights
- Overweight and obese people should aim to lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight.
- Slimmers who set themselves ambitious targets lose twice as many pounds as those who try to be realistic.
A study of 24,000 obese people, who were on a 12 month slimming programme found those who set themselves an ambitious ‘dream weight’ target dropped an average of three stones - around 19 percent of their body weight. In contrast, slimmers who set themselves ‘achievable’ goals lost far less.
The study, carried out by the University of Nottingham on behalf of Slimming World, challenges NHS advice that overweight and obese people should aim to lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight.
“This research shows that, when it comes to losing weight, it’s best to inspire people to set the weight loss target they would personally really like to achieve. This will help with their motivation as, if it is really their dream weight, they’ll be far more committed to achieving it”.
The new study showed that people who set a target of losing 27 percent of their body weight, lost an average of 19 percent. Those who set a medium target of around 16-21 percent hit 14 percent, while those who set a modest target of 10 percent only achieved their goal amount.
In Britain around a quarter of people have an obese Body Mass Index (BMI), which could be seriously affecting their health. Losing weight and maintaining a normal BMI reduces the risk of developing various diseases and also makes one feel more confident.