Obese individuals who lose as little as 5 percent of their body weight can improve their metabolic function and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, a new study has found.Many current treatment guidelines urge patients to lose between 5 percent and 10 percent of their body weight in order to experience health benefits, but the recommendations were based on earlier studies that didn't distinguish between participants who lost only 5 percent of their weight and those who lost more.The study, a clinical trial, randomized 40 obese individuals with signs of insulin resistance to either maintain their body weight or go on a low-calorie diet and lose 5 percent, 10 percent or 15 percent of their body weight.It found that insulin sensitivity improved significantly after participants lost just 5 percent of their body weight, as did triglyceride concentrations, blood pressure and heart rate. There were no improvements in markers of inflammation at that level of weight loss, however."Losing 5 percent is much easier than losing 10 percent, so it was important to understand what the differences might be," said Dr. Samuel Klein, a professor at Washington University School of Medicine and senior author of the study, published in the journalCell Metabolism. "You get a big bang for your buck with 5 percent."Full Article Here.
