Why does body weight often increase again after initial loss? The role of metabolic adaptation
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Keywords

obesity
weight loss
metabolic adaptation
energy balance
weight regain

How to Cite

Dudek, P., & Kozakowski, J. (2025). Why does body weight often increase again after initial loss? The role of metabolic adaptation. Wiedza Medyczna, 7(1), 22-26. https://doi.org/10.36553/wm.184

Abstract

Obesity, often referred to as the "tsunami of the 21st century", is a chronic, incurable disease prone to relapses. The crucial intervention aimed at reducing body weight for health benefits is lifestyle modification, but unfortunately, in most cases after the initial period of weight loss, a recurrence of overweight or obesity is observed. A similar process occurs in patients after bariatric surgery. It should be understood that the reason for this phenomenon does not necessarily must be associated with the lack of the patient adherence, but is a consequence of the activation of a strong objective mechanism - metabolic adaptation, i.e. changes in energy homeostasis to counteract lossing of energy. The article briefly describes the most important mechanisms of metabolic adaptation and presents the ways to counteract it.

https://doi.org/10.36553/wm.184
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