Women who are overweight or obese need to exercise for 55 minutes each day, five days a week in order to sustain a ten per cent weight loss over a two-year period, a new report recommends.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that in a study of 201 overweight and obese women, 24.6 per cent were able to maintain a loss of ten per cent or more over two years by burning on average 1,835 calories a week through physical activity.
The report stated: "Among obese adults, long-term weight loss and prevention of weight regain have been less than desired. Therefore, there is a need for more effective interventions.
"This clarifies the amount of physical activity that should be targeted for achieving and sustaining this magnitude of weight loss."
Current recommendations advise 30 minutes of moderate physical activity for a total of 150 minutes per week.
Figures show that over 65 per cent of adults in the US are overweight.
