Scientists devise weight loss prediction model
Would you be more motivated to improve your nutrition and fitness if you could preview the results? Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have created a mathematical model of what happens when people of varying builds, diets and exercise habits try to change their weight.
The computer simulation takes metabolism into account for a more accurate result. Some people lose weight and tone up faster than others.
The online tool simulates how factors such as diet and exercise can alter metabolism over time and thereby lead to changes of weight and body fat.
To test the model, the researchers compared predicted weight changes to actual changes in people.
"Mathematical modeling lets us make and test predictions about changes in weight and metabolism over time," aid Kevin Hall, Ph.D., an obesity researcher and physicist at the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "We're developing research tools to accurately simulate physiological differences between people based on gender, age, height, and weight, as well as body fat and resting metabolic rate."
Good news for those in the obesity range - heavier people can expect greater weight change with the same change in diet, though reaching a stable body weight will take them longer than people with less fat overall.
