Research
Energy balance
Rapid and substantial weight reduction, such as that achieved by bariatric surgery or certain medications, may result in greater reductions in lean muscle mass compared to gradual weight reduction.
If you are undergoing rapid weight loss (e.g., surgery or strong medications), prioritize resistance training and adequate protein intake to protect your muscle mass. Monitor your body composition, not just scale weight, to ensure you are losing fat, not muscle.
GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Rapid and substantial weight reduction, such as that achieved by bariatric surgery and medications, may result in greater reductions in lean mass than does more gradual weight reduction.
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and specific clinical trials (STEP-1, SURMOUNT-1).
Source
Chronicity of obesity and the importance of early treatment to reduce cardiometabolic risk and improve body composition
Sandra Christensen et al. · Obesity Pillars · 2025
DOI 10.1016/j.obpill.2025.100175
narrative_reviewCited 11×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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