Abstract
Weight cycling (WC) is a common phenomenon in patients with obesity, however, its consequence on body composition has not yet been fully understood. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether multiple WC can negatively affect the latter, especially in terms of body fat distribution in female adults seeking treatment that are overweight or obese. Body composition was obtained using a segmental body composition analyser (MC-780MA, Tanita Corp., Tokyo, Japan) in 125 adult females who had been referred to the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Beirut Arab University (Lebanon). WC was defined as intentional weight loss of ≥3 kg followed by involuntary weight regain of ≥3 kg, and participants were categorized as WC if they had experienced ≥2 cycles. Ninety of the 125 participants met the criteria for WC and displayed a higher total and trunk fat mass than those without WC. This was confirmed through linear regression analysis, showing that multiple WC were associated with increased fat mass (FM) by nearly 4.2 kg (β = 4.23, 95%CI: 0.81–7.65, p = 0.016)–2.4 kg in the trunk region (β = 2.35, 95%CI: 0.786–3.917, p = 0.004) when compared to the non-WC group, after adjusting for age and fat-free mass. In conclusion, multiple WC is associated with increased body fat, especially in the central region. Future studies are needed to examine the impact of this fat distribution on health outcomes in this phenotype of patients.
Highlights
Obesity is defined as increased fat mass in the adipose tissue [1] and it is becoming a rising health problem worldwide [2]
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the priority of addressing this problem as urgent, and states that this should be done through strong action in order for it to be translated through meaningful changes by individuals, health-care task forces, and policymakers
Body fat distribution is still unclear. In light of these considerations, the current study aims to investigate the impact of lifetime Weight cycling (WC) on body composition, body fat and body fat distribution in the ‘real-world’ clinical setting of treatment-seeking female patients that are overweight or obese
Summary
Obesity is defined as increased fat mass in the adipose tissue [1] and it is becoming a rising health problem worldwide [2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the priority of addressing this problem as urgent, and states that this should be done through strong action in order for it to be translated through meaningful changes by individuals, health-care task forces, and policymakers. This has led to international guidelines recommending a wide range of weight-loss interventions. These include lifestyle modification programs, which is mainly considered the key element of weight management for patients with obesity [7], as well as anti-obesity drugs [8]. and bariatric surgery [9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
