Research

Mixed

In older adults with type 2 diabetes, weight cycling and weight regain following intentional weight loss are associated with significantly worse physical function (gait speed, expanded physical performance battery) in women and weaker grip strength in men compared to maintaining or continuing weight loss.

If you have type 2 diabetes, keeping the weight you lose is just as important as losing it. Regaining weight or constantly going up and down (cycling) can weaken your grip and slow your walking speed, especially for women. Focus on strategies to maintain your weight loss to protect your physical function and independence as you age.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Weight cycling and regain following intentional weight loss in older adults with diabetes were associated with worse physical function in women and grip strength in men.
Kristen M. Beavers et al. · Obesity Science & Practice · 2015

Why this rating

Large sample size (n=450), long follow-up (8-9 years), objective measures, but observational design limits causal inference.

Source

Body weight dynamics following intentional weight loss and physical performance: the Look AHEAD Movement and Memory Study

Kristen M. Beavers et al. · Obesity Science & Practice · 2015

DOI 10.1002/osp4.3

cohort · n=450Cited 14×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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