Findings of a new study have showed that weight loss for obese people is next to impossible. An obese man has very less chances of losing weight, given only one in 210 manages to lose weight to attain a healthy body weight. Chances of losing weight for obese women are not that slim as one in 124 has the likelihood of dropping weight to a healthy body weight.

Scientists at King’s College London derived the conclusion after looking into the health records of 279,000 men and women from 2004-2014. The study showed that just 1283 men and 2245 women of the 176,495 in total with a BMI of 30 or more managed to attain a normal body weight.

Many patients in the study lost five percent of their body weight, but more than half again gained weight within two years and 78% within five years.

Details of the study have been published in the American Journal of Public Health. Experts say the study has highlighted the inefficiency of non-surgical treatment programs. “Research to develop new and more effective approaches to obesity management is urgently required. Obesity treatment programs should prioritise prevention of further weight gain along with the maintenance of weight loss in those who achieve it”, the study concludes.

University of Sydney obesity expert Dr. Kieron Rooney said the failure of many diet-based treatment programs to help obese people lose weight has to be blamed on major focus on short-term weight-loss goal. It’s very important to make obese people understand that an entire lifestyle change is required for maintaining healthy weight.