For years, the 10,000-step goal has been a fitness mantra, but new research presented at the European Association for the Study of Obesity suggests a slightly lower target may be more effective for weight management. A study led by Marwan El Ghoch at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy found that walking approximately 8,500 steps per day helps people who have lost weight avoid regaining it.
“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,” said El Ghoch. “The identification of a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of huge clinical value.”
How the Study Worked
The researchers analyzed multiple clinical trials involving nearly 4,000 patients. They compared 1,987 participants who followed lifestyle modification programmes—including dietary advice and step tracking—with 1,771 patients who dieted alone or received no treatment. By the end of the weight-loss phase, the first group had increased their daily steps to an average of 8,454 and lost 4.39% of their body weight, roughly 4 kg.
“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,” El Ghoch added.
Europe’s Obesity Challenge
The findings come as obesity rates continue to climb across Europe and globally. According to the World Obesity Atlas, the condition is expected to affect 30% of the world’s population by 2035. The World Health Organization Europe set a target to halt the increase in adult obesity at 2010 levels by 2025, but no European country met it. Rates have risen 138% since 1975.
Obesity is linked to numerous health complications, including a 70% higher risk of serious infections, with one in ten infectious disease deaths globally potentially attributable to it. The condition also places a heavy financial burden on healthcare systems and contributes to social stigma and disability.
Newer goals under the 2022–2030 Non-Communicable Diseases Action Plan aim for a 30% relative reduction in mean body mass index by 2030, including preventing childhood obesity. Simple, evidence-based interventions like step targets could play a role in meeting these targets.
While the study focused on weight maintenance, the authors note that walking is a low-cost, accessible form of physical activity that can be integrated into daily routines across European cities—from the boulevards of Paris to the parks of Berlin. For those struggling with weight regain, the message is clear: aim for 8,500 steps, not 10,000.
