Walking 8,500 Steps Daily May Help Prevent Weight Regain

NEW DELHI- Walking around 8,500 steps a day can help people maintain weight loss after dieting, according to new research.

The study, which was presented at the ‘European Congress on Obesity’ (ECO 2026) in Istanbul, , found a clear link between increasing daily step count and preventing weight regain after weight loss.

Researchers said it was particularly important for individuals to increase their step count during the weight loss phase and maintain that level during the weight maintenance phase. Participants who followed this pattern regained less weight, according to the study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

According to the researchers, nearly 80 per cent of people with overweight or obesity who initially lose weight regain some or all of it within three to five years.

“The identification of a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of huge clinical value,” Professor Marwan El Ghoch from the University of

Ghoch and researchers from Italy and Lebanon conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies to better understand the role of physical activity in long-term weight management.

The researchers measured participants’ daily step counts at the start of the trials, at the end of the weight loss phase, which lasted an average of 7.9 months, and at the end of the weight maintenance phase, which averaged 10.3 months.

Both the lifestyle modification group and the control group recorded similar daily step counts at the beginning of the trials, with averages of 7,280 and 7,180 steps respectively, indicating comparable lifestyles at baseline.

The control group did not increase its daily step count and did not lose weight during the study period.

In contrast, the LSM group increased its average daily step count to 8,454 by the end of the weight loss phase and recorded an average body weight reduction of 4.39 per cent, or around 4 kg.

Participants in the LSM group maintained the higher activity level during the maintenance phase, averaging 8,241 steps daily by the end of the trials. They also retained most of their weight loss, with an average reduction of 3.28 per cent, or around 3 kg. (IANS)

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