Metabolic Adaptations to Weight Loss

Physiology of weight regain: Lessons from the classic Minnesota Starvation Experiment on human body composition regulation

“…It has long been known that humans respond to starvation or caloric restriction by reducing the rate of their basal metabolism beyond that expected from the reduction in body size 42,78-81 -a phenomenon of energy conservation that has been attributed to an adaptive reduction in thermogenesis, often referred to as "metabolic adaptation." [27][28][29][30] The MSE, through its longitudinal design across a cycle of substantial weight loss and weight recovery, has provided unique insights into the dynamics and determinants of such adaptive suppression of thermogenesis. 64 .7%, and 9.7% at S12, S24, and R12, respectively, relative to control baseline BMR at C12; body composition data were corrected for excess hydration and relative bone mass.…”

“…It has long been known that humans respond to starvation or caloric restriction by reducing the rate of their basal metabolism beyond that expected from the reduction in body size 42,78–81 —a phenomenon of energy conservation that has been attributed to an adaptive reduction in thermogenesis, often referred to as “metabolic adaptation.” 27–30 The MSE, through its longitudinal design across a cycle of substantial weight loss and weight recovery, has provided unique insights into the dynamics and determinants of such adaptive suppression of thermogenesis 64 . Indeed, it can be observed that adaptive thermogenesis (assessed as the reduction in BMR after adjustment for changes in body weight and composition) shows temporal changes that correspond to a reduction of BMR of about 10%, 20%, and 25% at Weeks 4, 12, and 24 of semistarvation, respectively, and of about 10% at Week 12 of refeeding (Figures 2A and 4A).…”

“… for improving famine and refugee relief programs of international agencies in the postwar era of the United Nations, in particular with regard to the attitude and behavior patterns of those who have experienced starvation 19 and in the creation of standardized, nutritious rations, 20 for exploring the impact of food deprivation on the cognitive and social functioning of those with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, 21–23 for gaining insights into the clinical management of cachexia and weight changes related to illness and injuries, 4,24,25 and for underscoring the “famine reactions” of compensatory hyperphagia and metabolic adaptations that might undermine obesity therapy, 26–30 as illustrated in Figure 2. …”

Management of Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Literature Review

“… 43 The reasons for the variability of response are attributed to many causes from diet adherence to metabolic adaptations that thwart weight loss attempts. 44 45 46 Thus, it is essential to escalate obesity care via utilizing second-level therapies to achieve significant weight loss and to prevent weight regain ( Fig. 1 ).…”

The Distribution of Effort: Physical Activity, Gender Roles, and Bargaining Power in an Agrarian Setting

“…Hall 2008). It should be noted that this rule does not account for metabolic adaptations, which may dampen the long-term effects of reduced calorie consumption (Thomas et al 2013;Hall 2018). 12 To assess the robustness of these correlations to alternative approaches of computed active calories, Appendix Table A4 repeats the estimations using the algorithm described in Freedson, Melanson and Sirard (1998).…”