Credit score: Pixabay/CC0 Public Area
Practically one-third of people that adopted and adhered to a nutritious diet didn’t lose any weight, however nonetheless reaped many well being advantages, in accordance with a brand new research led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan Faculty of Public Well being and Ben Gurion College, Israel.
Impartial of weight discount, research individuals confirmed important enhancements in cardiometabolic markers, together with increased HDL ldl cholesterol (the wholesome sort of ldl cholesterol), decrease ranges of leptin (the hormone that alerts starvation), and fewer visceral fats (stomach fats discovered deep contained in the belly cavity, generally wrapping round organs).
“We have been conditioned to equate weight loss with health, and weight-loss-resistant individuals are often labeled as failures,” mentioned lead writer Anat Yaskolka Meir, postdoctoral analysis fellow within the Division of Epidemiology at Harvard Chan Faculty.
“Our findings reframe how we define clinical success. People who do not lose weight can improve their metabolism and reduce their long-term risk for disease. That’s a message of hope, not failure.”
The research was revealed within the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
The researchers analyzed modifications in weight and well being amongst 761 people with belly weight problems in Israel who participated in three landmark workplace-based diet scientific trials (DIRECT, CENTRAL, and DIRECT-PLUS) with excessive adherence charges and complete metabolic profiling.
At every trial, individuals have been randomly assigned to undertake and cling to wholesome diets—together with low-fat, low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, and green-Mediterranean diets—for between 18 and 24 months.
The research discovered that, throughout the entire scientific trials and the entire diets, 36% of individuals achieved clinically important weight reduction (outlined as dropping greater than 5% of their preliminary physique weight); 36% achieved reasonable weight reduction (dropping as much as 5% of their preliminary physique weight); and 28% have been immune to weight reduction, dropping no weight or gaining some.
Weight reduction was related to a wide range of well being enhancements. The researchers calculated that every kilogram misplaced was related to a 1.44% enhance in HDL ldl cholesterol, a 1.37% lower in triglycerides, a 2.46% drop in insulin, a 2.79% drop in leptin, and a 0.49-unit discount in liver fats, together with reductions in blood stress and liver enzymes.
The research additionally discovered, nevertheless, that individuals who have been immune to weight change—who tended to be older and/or ladies—confirmed lots of the similar enhancements. They’d extra good ldl cholesterol; decrease ranges of leptin, resulting in much less starvation; and fewer dangerous visceral fats.
“These are deep metabolic shifts with real cardiometabolic consequences,” mentioned Yaskolka Meir. “Our study showed that a healthy diet works, even when weight doesn’t shift.”
The researchers additionally utilized cutting-edge omics instruments and found 12 particular DNA methylation websites that strongly predict long-term weight reduction.
“This novel finding shows that some people may be biologically wired to respond differently to the same diet,” mentioned corresponding writer Iris Shai, principal investigator of the diet trials and adjunct professor of diet at Harvard Chan Faculty. “This isn’t just about willpower or discipline—it’s about biology. And now we’re getting close to understanding it.”
The research had some limitations, particularly that almost all of individuals have been males. The researchers famous that future related research ought to give attention to ladies.
Extra data:
Iris Shai et al, Particular person Response to Way of life Interventions: A Pooled Evaluation of Three Lengthy-Time period Weight Loss Trials, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (2025). DOI: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf308
Supplied by
Harvard T.H. Chan Faculty of Public Well being
Quotation:
Adopting a nutritious diet might have cardiometabolic advantages no matter weight reduction (2025, June 5)
retrieved 6 June 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-06-healthy-diet-cardiometabolic-benefits-weight.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Other than any honest dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is supplied for data functions solely.
