We have covered this here before but a recent study shines a brighter light on the topic of weight-loss, stress and sleep. In a large, two-phase weight-loss study, participants in Phase I of the LIFE study were enrolled to lose weight with intense counseling, daily 500 calorie reduction (from previous food intake) using the DASH diet approach and exercise recommendations (180 minutes per week).
What they found after six months was fairly impressive for a weight-loss study: 60 percent of the subjects lost 10 lbs. or more and averaged 195 minutes of exercise per week (participants also attended 73 percent of their 22 group sessions). The successful subjects are now on the Phase II maintenance part of the study.
At first glance it may look like doing group sessions is the trick – and it is probably a part of the success of this trial. But when researchers looked at what differentiated the successful participants from those who did not succeed, the answer was sleep and stress. Both were statistically linked with success. In the case of sleep – the best numbers were about 7 hours per night (between 6-8 hours). Plus a person’s perceived stress at the time of the trial was strongly correlated to success. The higher the perceived stress: the worse the outcome.
Too bad they didn’t measure cortisol, but I think we know what we would likely find. The researchers conclude “Results suggest that clinicians and investigators might consider targeting sleep, depression and stress as part of a behavioral weight loss intervention.” I would strongly agree.
Use the comments feature below to let us know how you have used stress reduction to help with weight-loss in your patients.
Abstract: Impact of sleep, screen time, depression and stress on weight change in the intensive weight loss phase of the LIFE study International Journal of Obesity. 2011 March 29; doi:10.1038/ijo.2011.60
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