it provides food for thought and ideas for possible weight loss remedies.

An interesting new study shows that by the simple act of moving to a high altitude obese people could lose weight without making an effort to modify their diet. The study also showed that the impact of living at high altitude continued for a minimum of a month when they came back to normal altitude levels. The study which was led by Dr. Florian Lippl from Ludwig Maximilians University based in Munich, Germany was only a small one with twenty obese men taking part. The eating and exercise patterns of the volunteers were monitored for a week at normal altitudes and then they were sent for two weeks to a high altitude (2,650 m above sea level) research station.

The male participants were told that they could eat whatever they wanted for this two week period but they were not allowed to take part in vigorous exercise. When the participants came back to normal altitudes it was noted that they had lost over 3lb. on average and the researchers noted that all of the volunteers consumed less calories daily at the high altitude.

The researchers believe that the thin air could be responsible for decreasing the appetites of the men and also increasing their metabolisms. It was also seen that the obese men had higher levels of the leptin hormone which is an appetite regulator that makes people feel full.  This study which was admittedly very small obviously needs further research but nevertheless it provides food for thought and ideas for possible weight loss remedies.

It may be however that the higher altitudes encouraged the men to go walking and enjoy the scenery which they would not have been able to do at lower altitudes and therefore the weight loss could be less to do with the altitude but more to do with the physical surrounding at higher altitudes.

If you are overweight why not book yourself a mountain holiday anyway. You are bound to do lots of walking, take in some fresh air and scenery and possibly benefit from this ‘high altitude weight loss’ phenomenon!