Energy balance
Preventing population-level weight gain in China requires closing a daily energy gap of approximately 45 kcal, achievable through small lifestyle changes such as reducing energy intake by 2-3% or adding 10-15 minutes of brisk walking daily.
To prevent weight gain, you do not need to overhaul your diet or exercise routine. Simply reduce your daily calorie intake by about 45 calories (roughly 2-3% of a standard diet) or add 10-15 minutes of brisk walking to your day. These small, sustainable changes are sufficient to offset the average energy surplus driving population weight gain.
We estimate that modifying diet and/or physical activity to affect energy balance by only 45 kcal d-1 would prevent excess weight gain in the population. This can be accomplished with very small changes in diet, in physical activity, or the two in combination.
Why this rating
Based on a large longitudinal cohort (N=2288) with repeated measures, though it relies on theoretical assumptions for energy storage efficiency.
Source
Closing the energy gap to prevent weight gain in China
F Zhai et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2008
DOI 10.1111/j.1467-789x.2007.00450.x
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