Research
Energy balance
Metabolic adaptations (adaptive thermogenesis) resist weight loss, contributing to weight regain after loss.
Expect metabolic slowdown when losing weight. This is a normal defense mechanism. Long-term maintenance requires strategies that account for this, such as resistance training to preserve muscle mass and realistic caloric targets.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
There are metabolic adaptations to a reduced-calorie diet when both resting and total energy expenditure decrease to an extent greater than expected on the basis of the measured body weight and composition change.
Why this rating
Supported by studies on metabolic slowing.
Source
Dynamic Interplay Among Homeostatic, Hedonic, and Cognitive Feedback Circuits Regulating Body Weight
Kevin D. Hall et al. · American Journal of Public Health · 2014
DOI 10.2105/ajph.2014.301931
narrative_reviewCited 80×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Common obesity is primarily driven by increased energy intake due to a changing food environment overwhelming homeostatic feedback, rather than defective homeostatic regulation.Good
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