Researchers Suggest Giving Overweight patients a year of Weight-loss Classes for better Results

A recently conducted study has found that obese people who take courses or classes of losing weight for short term do not get benefited from them and regain weight once they leave. This study has concluded that overweight or obese people should be offered at least 12 months of classes and training for better results. The study suggests in this way thousands of patients can be prevented from different types of diseases and obesity-related problems for next 25 years to come.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence puts the year-long course may carry more cost and effort on the half of government than so-called three-month course but in the long run, it would leave people with good recovery, improvement in health and prevention from other possible diseases. Amy Ahern, the first author of the study in the University of Cambridge observes the more you lose weight, better you keep it off and more you grow healthy.

This study was published in Lancet by a team of researchers who study the behavior of 1,267 patients of obesity and split them into three major groups. They have given only 200 patients self-help guide how to lose weight in brief explanation session by the researchers. There left two groups dividing those who get three months classes and the rest take 12 months of classes. To determine the real world scenario, these patients have been observed in different phases like after three months, twelve months and two years. Some of the patients have adopted the techniques of other groups for gaining better results. The result shows those who take self-guided help classes lose 3.26 kg weight while 3 months and 12 months participants lose 4.75 kg and 6.76 kg respectively.

More significantly, participants of 12-month course lost more fats and experienced greater drop in waist circumference relatively. They have been observed with minor chances of diabetes, glucose level, and blood pressure, unlike other groups. It is interesting to note most of the people regained weight after two years but 12 months course participants reflect more health and fitness.

In the end, the researchers use a variable model to quantify how much different it is to take long-term weight loss classes and its cost over next 25 years. The conclusion suggests three-month weight loss classes would save £ 2.68 per person over 25 years as compared to self-help guides and others. In addition to it, offering 12 months course instead of three months would have a net cost of £ 49 per person over 25 years. It is also to be noted that there would be a significant reduction in the numbers of participants as people would reflect more health and 1,786 cases would be reduced. The experts say though it is not much cost saving the effects it produces outweighs the shortcomings.

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