AI analyzed advice from thousands of people to find secrets to losing weight

By Tom Campbell via SWNS

The secrets to losing weight and keeping off the pounds have been revealed in a new study.

Artificial intelligence was used to tease out the best advice from over 6,000 people who managed to avoid putting weight back on following a diet.

For many people, maintaining a healthy weight once they have shed the extra pounds proves extremely difficult, leading to yo-yo dieting.

Now scientists in the United States have surveyed the techniques people use to lose weight and come up with the ultimate "how to guide."

Author Professor Suzanne Phelan at California Polytechnic State University said: "One of the most impressive findings was how weight-loss maintainers described perseverance in the face of setbacks.

"Weight-loss maintainers saw setbacks as part of their successful journey."

Around 6,000 Weight Watchers (WW) members who had lost more than 50 pounds (just over 3.5 stone) on average and kept it off for at least three years were asked to reveal their secrets.

They were asked open-ended questions about their motivations and strategies for keeping the pounds off, specifically what lifestyle changes they had to make.

Their responses were then grouped together by topic by the researchers using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence (AI).

Health issues like diabetes and heart conditions, a leading cause of death in the UK, were common reasons for wanting to slim down, they found.

Concerns over mobility, appearance and suggestions from friends and family were also driving forces for people to lose weight.

Many said perseverance was key to overcoming "inevitable setbacks" which could otherwise derail people's weight loss plan.

Professor Phelan said: "Setbacks were not described as failures. They were seen as a temporary interruption in their path.

"Many weight-loss maintainers described getting back on track at the next meal or the next day and measuring overall success based on long-term goals.”

Taking it day-by-day and using workshops to mentally reboot after challenging weeks was also advised, the researchers found.

An essential skill for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid putting weight back on was consistently monitoring their food intake.

Health and appearance were the number one motivator for weight loss maintainers, as well as reflecting on their past experience.

They also viewed losing weight as a challenge, often in relation to buying new clothes, criticism from others, sagging skin and the effort needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

What topics are emphasized when people are counseled on how to maintain their weight loss may therefore need revising.

Professor Phelan said: "As a lifestyle interventionist and researcher, I’m excited to think about how to promote perseverance, encourage tracking of intake and make changes in medical status more salient during the weight-loss journey."

The findings were published in The Journal of The Obesity Society.