Assessing the evidence for health benefits of low-level weight loss: a systematic review
Authors' conclusion
Our findings suggest that low-level weight loss can lead to various health benefits and challenges the conventional threshold for effective weight loss.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals with excess weight in intervention studies assessing the impact of <5% weight loss on physical or mental health markers or indices70 studies · 68 articles
- Comparison
- Low-level weight loss
- Outcome
- Any measured physical or mental health markers or indices
Methodological detailsany language, any country, no time constraints, 7 academic databases, Study participants ranged from 14 to 10,742
- Any language, any country, no time constraints
- 7 academic databases
- Study participants ranged from 14 to 10,742
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Health markers or indices with low-level weight loss
Studies reporting improvements
60%
Studies with no change or mixed results
37%
Studies observing worsening of health markers or indices
3%
Participants reporting improvements in health markers or indices (n = 15,839)
87%
Further pooled results
Health markers assessed
- Total health markers
- 137
- Metabolic markers
- 42
- Cardiovascular markers
- 32
- Anthropometric measures
- 19
- Quality of life indices
- 10
- Inflammatory biomarkers
- 10
- Renal and hepatic markers
- 9
- Psychosocial and behavioural measures
- 8
- Pulmonary function
- 3
- Total mortality
- 2
- Ovulatory function
- 1
- Muscle strength
- 1
Original publication
Assessing the evidence for health benefits of low-level weight loss: a systematic review. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 1 November 2024. doi:10.
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