Tweaking diet and exercise doesn’t result in weight loss

Randomised controlled trial shows a 100 calorie per day reduction combined with 2000 extra steps is not as effective as pilot studies suggested

Encouraging patients to make small changes to their diet and physical activity will not help them lose weight or waist circumference, a small study suggests.

In a randomised controlled trial (RCT), Canadian researchers set out to determine if a “small changes approach” to food intake and exercise is effective for weight loss after two separate pilot studies showed it prevented weight gain.