study: obese people lose more than 50 lbs for more than 5 years

A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss Mary L Kiem, et al. - Am J Clin Nutr 66 (2): 239. (1997) [PubMed ID 9250100] Abstract: The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is, to the best of our knowledge, the largest study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of weight loss. Despite extensive histories of overweight, the 629 women and 155 men in the registry lost an average of 30 kg and maintained a required minimum weight