European obesity researchers find 8,500 daily steps aid weight‑loss maintenance

A study by the European Association for Obesity Research involving nearly 4,000 participants compared two groups over a weight‑maintenance program. The first group of 1,987 people combined diet with increased walking, raising their daily step count to about 8,454 and losing an average of 4.39 % of body weight (roughly 4 kg). The second group of 1,771 participants relied on diet alone or took no extra action. Researchers concluded that averaging around 8,500 steps per day helps preserve weight loss and cuts the risk of regain, which affects up to 80 % of overweight or obese adults within three to five years after dieting. The report also highlighted rising obesity rates in Europe, WHO targets to halt adult obesity growth by 2025, and projected that 30 % of Europeans could be obese by 2035.

The findings underscore the importance of integrating regular physical activity, specifically walking, into long‑term weight‑management strategies.