Weighing yourself each day may help you to shed the pounds, if new research is to be believed.
Standing on the scales produced ‘unexpected’ effects of encouraging people to cut back on junk food, scientists said.
Seeing small results regularly in the long battle with the bulge motivates adults to stick with their diet and exercise routine.
And noticing weight gain can motivate adults to adopt lifestyle changes, helping them to avoid an expanding waistline.
Standing on the scales produced ‘unexpected’ effects of encouraging people to cut back on junk food, scientists said
How does it work?
Dr Meghan Butryn, from Drexel University, said: ‘Regularly weighing yourself can motivate you to engage in healthy eating and exercise behaviors.
‘It provides you with evidence that these behaviors are effective in helping you lose weight or prevent weight gain.
‘Similarly, if you see weight gain on the scale, that information can motivate you to make a change.’
How was the study carried out?
The findings, which also involved experts at the University of Pennsylvania, involved 294 women of varying weights.
Each participant had their body fat and BMI measured at the beginning of the study, six months and two years after.
Volunteers were also quizzed about the frequency of their weighing habits, the study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine states.
What did they find?
On average, women who reported at least one period of daily self-weighing tended to avoid piling on the pounds. Their BMIs were slightly lower.
Dr Diane Rosenbaum, study author, said: ‘The losses in BMI and body fat percentage were modest, but still significant.
‘We did not expect that, in the absence of a weight loss intervention, folks would be losing weight.’
Surprising findings
The team was also surprised to find women in their study who weighed themselves daily had heavier BMIs at baseline than other participants.
All participants involved in the study were college students, of whom more than 70 percent gain weight during their first year, figures suggest.
Freshman weight gain, which averages four to eight pounds, is nearly six times greater than what the general population experiences.
It comes as past studies have suggested that self-weighing can effectively prevent weight gain after initial weight loss for people with obesity.
But other trials have also uncovered similar findings as the latest one, suggesting daily weighing can help to shift the pounds.