Research

Energy balance

Men may achieve better long-term weight maintenance after VLED-based programs compared to women.

Current evidence suggests men may maintain weight loss better than women after a VLED program, possibly due to higher lean body mass and energy expenditure. However, this is not yet a confirmed rule, and individual results vary widely. Women should not be discouraged, as many do achieve excellent long-term results with proper behavioral support.

ModerateConditionalMEDIUM confidence
Some studies suggest that after a VLED-based programme long-term maintenance is better among men than women. This possible gender difference is an important topic for further research.
Pertti Mustajoki et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2001

Why this rating

Based on specific studies (Torgerson, authors' own study) cited in the text, but the paper explicitly states it is an 'important topic for further research' and not yet confirmed.

Source

Very low energy diets in the treatment of obesity

Pertti Mustajoki et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2001

DOI 10.1046/j.1467-789x.2001.00026.x

narrative_reviewCited 119×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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