Family Or Friend Participation Improves Weight Loss

Heading to the gym? Well, don't forget to take along your friend. For, exercising with a partner boosts weight loss claims a new study.

To reach the conclusion, Professor Shiriki Kumanyika and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, conducted the two-year trial. The study included 344 men and women.

Knee Pain Can Be Reduced By Exercise Therapy
According to a new study supervised exercise therapy is more effective at reducing pain and improving function than usual care for patients with severe knee pain.

The volunteers' goal was to achieve and maintain a 5 per cent to 10 per cent weight loss. They were educated on a healthy diet and physical activity, given pedometers and enrolled in exercise sessions, reports The Telegraph.

A total of 63 people enrolled in the program alone and 281 enrolled with a friend or family member.

The groups were split into three sections, those who trained alone, those who had a partner that received little coaching and those who were with a friend who also had a high level of coaching.

Healthy Diet, Regular Exercise can Prevent Bad Genes from Causing Diseases
Simple lifestyle choices, such as following a healthy diet and regular exercise, can override bad genes, according to one of Canada's leading genetic researchers.

Their progress was then measured at intervals of six, 12, 18 and 24 months, according to the research, published in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine journal.

After analyzes, researchers found that the participants with a partner in the high support group lost the most weight at all the measurement periods.

Successful Weight Losers Have Fewer TV's, High-Fat Foods And More Exercise Equipment At Home
Studies point out the importance of maintaining a healthy weight after shedding extra pounds.

Kumanyika said: "We evaluated family and friend social support as a specific cultural adaptation strategy.

"Beneficial effects on weight loss were linked to actual rather than assigned partner participation and to partner success in losing weight.

"Further studies may elucidate ways to facilitate effective family or friend participation and to improve absolute weight losses."

Source-ANI
ARU