A recent study by researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK, has reignited the debate: Does water help with weight loss? Scientists asked 41 overweight adults to drink half a liter of water about half an hour before each meal for two months. During the same period, a control group of 43 people just had to imagine having a full stomach before going to dinner.
Before the test, all participants had listened to expert advice on weight management, a balanced diet and physical activity. As a result, participants in the first group would have lost almost 1.3 kg more than those in the second group. This technique is not new: specialists have advised it for years. Bob Harper, a highly publicized American slimming coach, had made it his miracle solution to lose weight. In 2013, he advised his listeners to divide the number of calories consumed and drink two to three glasses of water before each meal.
A healthy lifestyle
But can you really lose weight by increasing your water intake? "No," replies the spokesperson for the French Association of Dietitians and Nutritionists, Corinne Peirano, "water does not per se lose weight ... but it does not make you fat either, with its zero calorie intake." The water, explains the dietician, distends the lining of the stomach and takes about 10 to 15 minutes to drain. The receivers of this wall will send messages of momentary satiation. "It's the eating after drinking water that will quickly build up gastric fullness."
This method would therefore be able to reduce food intake, but under certain conditions. The authors of the British study make it clear: "Drinking water before meals can help with weight loss if the person in question adopts a healthier diet and increases their physical activity." No miracles in sight, therefore: for lasting weight loss, you have to practice sport and eat healthy. "The participants in the study were supervised and made aware of a healthy lifestyle ... these results must be analyzed taking this context into account", concludes Corinne Peirano.
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