The Longer A Patient Is Overweight, the Harder It Becomes to Lose that Added Weight

Having excess pounds for a longer period replaces the body’s "normal" weight with a higher one. Data showed young obesity-programmed mice that were able to retain a normal weight through dieting were able to prevent excess weight gain in adulthood, while young mice that had early obesity were not able to lose weight in adulthood despite lower food intake and more exercise. The new study revealed that the longer the animals were overweight, the less likely they were to shed the excess weight. According to the report, the obesity in mice eventually replaces the "normal" body weight, making the mice’s "normal" weight higher than before, regardless of diets which had previously worked. Journal of Clinical Investigation Oct. 2012