8,500 steps a day can help dieters keep weight off, research suggests
Researchers found people who kept walking about 8,500 steps a day held onto more lost weight, while extra steps did not boost short-term weight loss.
- People aiming to sustain weight loss after dieting should target approximately 8,500 steps daily, according to new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Around 80% of people who initially lose weight regain it within three to five years, a challenge Professor Marwan El Ghoch from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy described as requiring strategies with huge clinical value.
- Researchers analyzed 14 existing studies involving 3,758 people from Australia, the UK, US, and Japan. The lifestyle modification group increased steps to 8,454 daily during the weight-loss phase, losing 4.39% of their body weight on average.
- During the weight maintenance phase, participants who successfully kept weight off averaged 8,241 steps per day. Prof El Ghosh stated that sustaining this level is "a simple and affordable strategy to prevent weight regain.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Scientists say 8,500 steps a day could stop weight from creeping back
A new international analysis suggests there may be a surprisingly simple secret to keeping weight off after dieting: walking about 8,500 steps a day. Researchers found that people who boosted their daily steps to around that level during a weight-loss program — and kept it up afterward — were far more successful at avoiding the frustrating cycle of regaining lost weight. The study highlights a major challenge in obesity treatment, since most peo…
8,500 daily steps — not 10,000 — may be the sweet spot to prevent weight regain after dieting
A new study presented at ECO 2026 and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health suggests that around 8,500 daily steps may be sufficient to help prevent weight regain after weight loss, challenging the commonly recommended 10,000-step target. Based on a meta-analysis of 18 trials involving over 3,700 adults with overweight or obesity, researchers found that combining a reduced-calorie diet with maintainin…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
