Researchers say walking roughly 8,500 steps per day could help people avoid regaining weight after dieting.
For many people, losing weight is only half the battle. Keeping it off can be far more difficult. Now, new research suggests that one surprisingly simple habit may help tip the odds in their favor: walking about 8,500 steps a day.
The findings, presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026) and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, indicate that consistently staying active after dieting may help prevent the cycle of losing and regaining weight that affects millions of people.
Researchers say the results highlight a practical strategy that does not require expensive equipment, gym memberships, or intense workout routines.
The Challenge of Preventing Weight Regain
Most weight loss programs focus heavily on shedding pounds, but maintaining that progress over the long term remains one of obesity treatment’s biggest challenges.
“The most important – and greatest – challenge when treating obesity is preventing weight regain,” explains Professor Marwan El Ghoch, of the Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
“Around 80% of people with overweight or obesity who initially lose weight tend to put some or all of it back on again within three to five years.
“The identification of a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of huge clinical value.”
To better understand the issue, researchers from Italy and Lebanon carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous studies.
The review included 18 randomized controlled trials. Fourteen of those studies, involving 3,758 participants with overweight or obesity, were included in the meta-analysis. Participants had an average age of 53 and an average BMI of 31 kg/m2. The studies were conducted in countries including the UK, the US, Australia, and Japan.
Comparing Lifestyle Programs and Dieting Alone
The trials compared 1,987 people enrolled in lifestyle modification (LSM) programs with 1,771 people who either dieted without the program or received no treatment.
The LSM programs combined dietary advice with recommendations to walk more and track daily step counts. Each program included a weight loss phase followed by a maintenance phase designed to help participants keep the weight off long term.
Researchers recorded participants’ daily step counts at the beginning of the studies, after the weight loss phase, and again after the maintenance phase. The weight loss phase lasted an average of 7.9 months, while the maintenance phase averaged 10.3 months.
At the start of the trials, both groups had similar activity levels. Participants in the LSM group averaged 7,280 steps per day, while the control group averaged 7,180 steps.
Higher Step Counts Linked to Better Weight Maintenance
People in the control group did not increase their daily step counts and did not lose weight during the studies.
Participants in the LSM group increased their daily step count to an average of 8,454 by the end of the weight loss phase. They also lost an average of 4.39% of their body weight, or about 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds).
During the maintenance phase, participants largely maintained their higher activity levels, averaging 8,241 steps per day. They also kept off most of the weight they had lost, with an average total weight reduction of 3.28%, or about 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds), by the end of the studies.
Further analysis found a clear association between higher step counts and lower weight regain. Participants who increased their daily steps during weight loss and maintained those levels afterward were more successful at keeping the weight off.
However, increasing daily steps was not linked to greater weight loss during the dieting phase itself. Researchers suggest that calorie reduction likely plays a larger role in initial weight loss.
A Simple and Affordable Strategy
Professor El Ghoch says lifestyle modification programs can support meaningful long-term weight loss.
He adds: “Participants should be always encouraged to increase their step count to approximately 8,500 a day during the weight loss phase and sustain this level of physical activity during the maintenance phase to help prevent them from regaining weight. “Increasing the number of steps walked to 8,500 each day is a simple and affordable strategy to prevent weight regain.”
Reference: “Daily Steps During Nutritional Lifestyle Modification Programs for Obesity Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” by Dana Saadeddine, Matteo Foglia, Elisa Berri, Silvia Raggi, Leila Itani and Marwan El Ghoch, 16 April 2026, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23040522
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