Why weight often returns after successful weight loss
Predictors of Recidivism to Obesity in Weight-Reduced Individuals
This project looks at changes in hunger, metabolism, hormones, and behavior in adults who lose about 10% of their body weight to understand why some people regain weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11518349 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You will follow a lifestyle program to lose roughly 10% of your body weight, and the study team will measure your appetite, energy use, hormones, body composition, and behaviors. They will collect blood samples and metabolic and activity data to track biological and behavioral changes. After you reach the weight loss goal, researchers will monitor you for one year with minimal clinical support to see how much weight, if any, is regained. The study links these measurements to differences in long-term weight maintenance between people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with overweight or obesity who can lose about 10% of their body weight through lifestyle changes and are willing to undergo lab tests and one year of follow-up are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People not attempting weight loss, those who recently had bariatric surgery, are pregnant, or have medical conditions that strongly affect body weight may not be eligible or likely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help clinicians design better, more personalized ways to help people keep weight off long-term.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that metabolism and hunger change after weight loss, but predicting who will regain weight is still unclear and this study builds on that prior work.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leibel, Rudolph L — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Leibel, Rudolph L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.