Learn More about Weight Loss Research Studies

What are Weight Loss Clinical Trials?

Weight loss research studies have been focusing on ways to reduce body fat and encourage weight loss in participants who are overweight and obese.

Obesity in the United States has reached an all-time high. From March 2017 to March 2020, obesity prevalence increased from 30.5 percent to a whopping 41.9 percent. Obesity is a health issue that has been linked to many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, and different kinds of cancer. One cannot ignore its effects on economic costs and mortality rates.

One of the best ways to manage weight is by preventing unwanted weight gain. This can be done by preventing the development of too much body fat. Research studies are spending all their time developing drug therapies to curl appetite and manage hunger signals.

Why is Weight Loss being Studied in Research Studies?

It has been found that the current obesity rates in 19 different US states are 35 percent more than what they used to be in 2021. This increase in obesity levels can be linked to economic and social factors. This means that four in ten adults in the US are obese, and the rates are continuing to rise all over the nation and across population groups.

The highest obesity rates lie at 40.6 percent, 40.3 percent, and 39.9 percent in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Alabama. Ten years ago, none of the states had an obesity rate of close to 35 percent. This is why many individuals suffer from high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, strokes, coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, poor mental health, and body pain.

Weight loss research studies are needed to determine how weight gain can be managed, other than traditional ways of physical activity and healthy eating. Researchers are studying drugs that can lower body fat so that individuals can manage their weight and not be on the brink of diseases.

Weight-management programs need to be developed to ensure that excess fat does not develop in the body. With thousands of diets, strategies, devices, and potions available for weight loss on the internet today, researchers are trying to determine permanent and effective ways for weight loss and weight maintenance.

Weight loss research studies are also needed to figure out ways to educate individuals about the threat of weight gain and how it affects the body. Many people are unaware of the range of physical and mental conditions resulting from obesity.

How Does Weight Loss Treatment Work?

Weight loss treatment depends on how overweight an individual is and whether they have any preexisting conditions. It also depends on whether or not they want to choose non-surgical programs or go ahead with the surgery. Most treatments consist of a combination of exercise, behavior modification therapy, and dieting.

Dietary Modification

Dietary modification is an integral part of weight loss treatment plans. This is especially true for those who have undergone weight loss surgery. The idea behind a diet is to limit calorie intake while maintaining nutrition. Calorie-restrictive diets can be divided into two groups- low-calorie diets and very low-calorie diets.

A low-calorie diet consists of lowering calories consumed per day by 500 to 1,000. In contrast, in very low-calorie diets, individuals are allowed to consume 400 to 800 calories per day while consuming low-fat liquids and high-protein meals.

Behavior Modification

Behavior modification in weight loss treatment plans helps change exercise and eating habits to promote weight loss. This includes setting short-term and long-term weight loss goals, making a food diary, understanding risky situations where you don't feel in control, rewarding actions like exercising, and adopting a healthy mindset about body image and weight loss.

Even though behavior modification programs are successful, most success is in the short term for the first year. However, behaviour modification is a must for individuals who have gotten weight-loss surgery.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the most successful weight-loss treatments that, when coupled with weight-loss surgery, has long-lasting results.

According to research, when you consume a few calories, the body slows down the metabolism so that fewer calories are burned, restricting weight loss. Exercising regularly can help boost the metabolism so that you can maintain a low body weight.

Some easy hacks to boost physical activity include walking instead of driving, lowering the time one spends in front of the television, using an exercise bike, swimming, and climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

Prescription Drugs

Over-the-counter prescription weight loss drugs are also part of weight loss treatment plans to help individuals curb their hunger. Studies show that drug therapy can help patients lose 10 percent of extra body weight and that they hit a plateau after six to eight months. However, when patients stop taking these medications, they regain their weight.

Some weight loss drugs that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat obesity include Beta-methyl-phenylethylamine, Orlistat, Phentermine, and Sibutramine. Medications are a vital part of the obesity treatment process, but the ones available in the market can have some side effects.

The last part of weight loss plans includes surgery. This is for patients who cannot keep the weight off for longer periods. Bariatric surgery consists of sealing the stomach to lower the quantity of food one can consume. This is for individuals trying to lose weight or maintain their current weight.

However, for weight loss surgery to work, the patient must be 100 pounds over their ideal body weight. Moreover, they must have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. This number varies from person to person, based on weight and height. If a patient's BMI is 35, surgery is still an option if the doctor determines that it is necessary for the patient to reach his weight loss target.

What are Some of the Recent Breakthroughs Involving Weight Loss?

2022: Clinical Trials in Weight Loss - Two drugs that have been found to lower body fat through thorough weight loss research studies and clinical trials include semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Semaglutide works as an anti-diabetic compound that needs to be injected for a subcutaneous route of administration. Ozempic is a drug meant to be taken with a strict diet plan and exercise. It aims to alleviate glycemic control in adults suffering from type 2 diabetes. It was found that individuals taking 2.4 mg of semaglutide once a week were likely to lower their overall body fat percentage.

Tirzepatide was tested in a 72-week study in which it was found that this drug activates the receptors, changes energy consumption in the body, hinders energy conservation, and alleviates insulin sensitivity.

2015: Action for Health in Diabetes Trial - This study found that individuals with type 2 diabetes can lose and maintain weight by adhering to a strict diet and including various physical activities in their daily lives.

The study also showed that losing weight has many benefits, from increased physical mobility to an enhanced quality of life. Research is still ongoing to examine the long-term effects of how the weight of old people with diabetes affects physical activity programs and a healthy diet.

2007: A Comparative Weight Loss Study of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, a d USDA/LEARN Diets - Recent diets, especially those low in carbohydrates, send a different message from what doctors recommend for weight loss- a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. The risks and benefits of a low-carb diet have not been tested sufficiently.

This research aimed to study four weight-loss diets ranging from low to high carbohydrate intake and how they affected weight and metabolic rate. Four different diets were looked at, including Atkins (low carb), Zone (low-carb, high protein), Ornish (low fat), and USDA/LEARN (high carb, moderate fat).

Increased weight loss was found in women following the Atkins diet, particularly those following the Ornish, LEARN, and Zone diets. Weight loss was not significantly different in these three groups, showing that these diets are the most successful when it comes to losing weight. Hence, obese and premenopausal women are encouraged to adapt to the Atkins diet for weight loss and high metabolic rate.

2021: Research Study Investigating How Well Semaglutide Works in People Suffering from Overweight or Obesity - This study looked at how participants' body weight changed throughout the study in which half the participants were given Semaglutide, and the other half were given a placebo. Along with the medicine, the participants in the control group were also educated about healthy food choices, the importance of exercise, and how to lose weight.

Participants were supposed to have 15 clinical visits and 10 phone calls with doctors throughout the duration of their study. These 300 participants will be studied for two and a half years. Even though they will not receive treatment for this duration, they will keep having follow-up visits with their doctors to determine whether or not they have lost weight, maintained their weight, and how they feel physically.

Who are the Key Opinion Leaders/ Institutions in Weight Loss Research Studies?

Dr. Arya Sharma: Dr. Arya Sharma is a renowned obesity expert who has authored and co-authored 250+ articles on how to manage obesity and cardiovascular disorders that arise as a result of it.

His research is based on how to manage obesity and how to deal with the complications that may arise due to obesity. Recently, Dr. Sharma has been working at the University of Alberta as a Professor of Medicine and Chair of Obesity Research and Management. As someone who believes in researching obesity, he also manages a blog in which he writes his thoughts on obesity and its management and prevention.

Journal of Medical Internet Research: The Journal of Medical Internet Research focuses on studying technology to monitor diet, body weight, and physical activity at home.

This helps boost awareness about how different behaviors influence weight loss. The best way to deal with obesity is to understand how these new methods help curb appetite.