Mixed
Intentional weight loss interventions improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m², with the magnitude of improvement increasing significantly as baseline BMI increases, particularly for those with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m².
If you have a BMI of 25 or higher, losing weight intentionally will likely improve your health-related quality of life. The higher your starting BMI, the greater the improvement in how you feel physically and mentally. However, if your BMI is under 30, the impact on quality of life may be negligible. Do not fear that weight loss will harm your mental health; evidence shows it does not.
In longitudinal spline regressions, decreases in BMI were positively associated with HRQoL for people with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. The impact of change in BMI was larger for people with higher BMIs than for those with BMIs under 30 kg/m2.
Why this rating
Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis of 5 randomized controlled trials with 10,884 participants, providing high statistical power and robust synthesis.
Source
Weight loss interventions on health‐related quality of life in those with moderate to severe obesity: Findings from an individual patient data meta‐analysis of randomized trials
John Buckell et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2021
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