Overview
- A systematic review of 18 trials, with 14 in a meta-analysis covering 3,758 adults, found higher daily steps were tied to better weight maintenance.
- Participants in lifestyle programs raised steps from about 7,200 to 8,454 during weight loss and kept about 8,241 during maintenance.
- Those who kept higher step counts regained less weight, while initial weight loss was driven mostly by cutting calories.
- On average, people in the programs maintained about 3 to 4 kilograms of loss over roughly 18 months.
- The work, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul and published in a peer‑reviewed journal, applies to adults with overweight or obesity and shows association, not proof.