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Why is the 3500 kcal per pound weight loss rule wrong?

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, page 1614 (2013)Cite this article

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We welcome the recent article by Thomas et al.1 criticizing the commonly used 3500 kcal per pound weight loss rule. This echoes our research showing that the 3500-kcal rule leads to overestimation of weight loss in individuals and populations.2, 3 Despite our agreement with the spirit of the article, we believe it has the potential to generate confusion about exactly why the 3500-kcal rule is wrong.

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References

  1. Thomas DM, Martin CK, Lettieri S, Bredlau C, Kaiser K, Church T et al. Can a weight loss of one pound a week be achieved with a 3500-kcal deficit? Commentary on a commonly accepted rule. Int J Obes (Lond) 2013; 37: 1611–1613.

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  2. Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, Chow CC, Wang YC, Gortmaker SL et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet 2011; 378: 826–837.

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  3. Lin BH, Smith TA, Lee JY, Hall KD . Measuring weight outcomes for obesity intervention strategies: the case of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax. Econ Hum Biol 2011; 9: 329–341.

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  4. Hall KD . Modeling metabolic adaptations and energy regulation in humans. Annu Rev Nutr 2012; 32: 35–54.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    K D Hall & C C Chow

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  1. K D Hall
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  2. C C Chow
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Correspondence to K D Hall.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Hall, K., Chow, C. Why is the 3500 kcal per pound weight loss rule wrong?. Int J Obes 37, 1614 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.112

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