Energy balance
Counter-regulatory mechanisms, specifically adaptive thermogenesis and increased eating drive, are potent physiological responses to weight loss that actively promote weight regain, thereby limiting the long-term efficacy of lifestyle interventions and pharmacotherapies.
When you lose weight, your body fights back by lowering your metabolic rate and increasing hunger. This is a normal biological response, not a personal failure. To maintain weight loss, you must anticipate this metabolic adaptation and likely require ongoing, structured support rather than relying on initial willpower alone.
Potent counter-regulatory mechanisms where changes in energy intake (EI) or energy expenditure (EE) act reciprocally lead to the failure of dieting and exercise as a treatment option for overweight and obesity.
Why this rating
The paper is a comprehensive review synthesizing multiple clinical and preclinical studies, citing robust evidence for the existence and persistence of these mechanisms.
Source
Challenges in tackling energy expenditure as obesity therapy: From preclinical models to clinical application
Mona C. Löffler et al. · Molecular Metabolism · 2021
DOI 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101237
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