A simple vest helps weight loss over the long term

In a recent article published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers analyzed whether wearing a weighted vest for six months during calorie restriction interventions could affect long-term weight regain in obese people. They found that participants who wore and did not wear the vest lost the same amount of weight over six months, but those who wore the vest regained only half of their lost weight over 24 months, while those who did not wear the vest regained all of their weight back.

Recently, researchers have been looking at gravitational loading, or the way the body’s weight affects the skeleton, as a factor in weight regulation. This idea is the basis of the “gravitostat” hypothesis, which suggests that bone cells in the lower body detect changes in body weight and send signals to the brain to regulate appetite and fat storage. While most of the evidence comes from animal studies, one human study has shown that increased gravity loading can lead to small but statistically significant losses in fat mass and body weight over a short period of time, although the magnitude of weight loss in this study was less than what is considered clinically significant.

This study analyzed observational data from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated whether wearing a weighted vest during a six-month weight loss regimen was feasible and beneficial for older adults with obesity and arthritis.

In the original study, participants were randomized to either a calorie-restrictive diet and weighted vest use (20 participants) or diet alone (17 participants). For this pilot analysis, 18 participants (two groups of nine) who completed the six-month program voluntarily returned for follow-up after 24 months.

All participants followed a diet plan with a daily intake of 1100 to 1300 kcal and received weekly nutritional and behavioral counseling. Participants in the treatment group wore an adjustable weight vest for no more than 10 hours per day during active periods. The weight of the vest was increased weekly to make up for lost body weight, not to exceed 15% of baseline weight. Participants reported weekly on adherence to the regimen. Participants were not contacted or followed up after the six-month intervention, except for an invitation to return for evaluation after 24 months.

This pilot study included older adults with a mean age of 70.4 years, 83.3% of whom were obese women, who underwent six months of weight loss followed by an 18-month follow-up.

Both groups achieved similar and significant weight loss during the first six months; those who wore the vest lost an average of 11.2 kg and those who did not, lost an average of 10.3 kg.

After 24 months, the vest-wearing group had regained only half of the weight lost, with a net loss of 4.8 kg from baseline, while the non-vest-wearing group had returned to their baseline weight.

This study suggests that wearing a weighted vest during targeted weight loss may help reduce weight regain in the long term, possibly by maintaining resting metabolic rate. The findings support new research on gravity loading as a factor in weight regulation.

The main strengths of the study include the novelty of the intervention, the randomized controlled design, and the long follow-up period.

Overall, the experimental results are promising and suggest that gravity loading may help maintain weight loss in older adults.

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Hertz Medical Center Ukraine,KyivLeave a request

Published: 20.05.2025

Updated: 20.05.2025

Medical author, Medical editor:

Stepan Yuk

Medical expert:

PhD. Olexandr Voznyak