Eleven research abstracts from two clinical studies were presented April 5, 2005 by Richard B. Kreider, Ph.D., FACSM, Professor and Chair of the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at Baylor University to nutrition experts attending the Experimental Biology 2005 Annual Meeting in San Diego.

The Curves Fitness and Weight Management Plan is based on: 1.) a total-body workout that includes not only cardio and stretching but also strength training, which is the key to protecting and increasing fat-burning lean muscle mass; and 2.) increased resting metabolism (REE, also known as metabolic rate). The plan is designed so that once the goal weight is achieved, eating normally and healthfully will increase metabolism. Study participants raised their REE in some cases by an average 265 calories a day, meaning they can consume 265 more calories daily without regaining weight. Only a couple of days each month are dedicated to dieting. As the eating cycle is continued, metabolism is raised, and women will enjoy permanent weight loss without permanent dieting.

The Phase II, 14-week study followed 120 sedentary overweight women assigned to different combinations of workout and diets to determine Curves' effect on body composition, health markers, and psychosocial factors such as appearance evaluation and body area satisfaction.

The test group following the Curves plan lost an average of two inches from their hips and three inches from their waists, while showing a 21 percent improvement in strength and a seven percent increase in aerobic capacity. Their blood cholesterol and resting blood pressure also improved, reducing their odds against cardiovascular disease, the number one killer of women in the United States.

"The most significant differences between Phases I and II of the Curves study is that we found that a woman can essentially lose the same amount of weight with less dramatic changes in diet," said Dr. Krieder. "We also learned that following the Curves exercise program and only dieting intermittently seems to be very effective to maintaining long term weight loss. We are seeing maintenance or increase in REE despite weight loss. Usually, REE goes down with weight loss which is why it is easier to regain weight."

"I've been advising women for years that the overly simplistic conventional wisdom of 'eat less, move more--be smaller' has contributed to the failure of long-term weight management," said Gary Heavin, architect of the Curves plan and founder and chief executive officer of Curves International. "We have a proven method that protects muscle, burns body fat, and raises metabolism. You can then eat healthfully and normally rather than live on a maintenance diet."

The research was sponsored by an unrestricted research grant from Curves International. Details of the study can be found at http://www3.baylor.edu/HHPR/Curves/.

"No other fitness franchise has funded a research project of this magnitude," said Dr. Kreider. "Curves has stepped up to the plate, and the data have proved them wise in doing so."

About Dr. Richard Kreider

Dr. Kreider has conducted numerous studies on nutrition and exercise and has published two books, more than 300 research articles/abstracts in scientific journals, and more than 150 articles for health and fitness magazines. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) and is an active member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International Society of Sport Nutrition.

About the Curves Women's Initiative

The Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory (ESNL) at Baylor University began research investigating the safety and efficacy of the Curves for Women fitness and weight loss program in the fall of 2002. Since then, researchers within the ESNL have conducted a number of research studies examining the short and long-term impact of women participating in the Curves program. These efforts have culminated in the award of a five year, multimillion-dollar grant to the ESNL in order to start the Curves Women's Health Initiative. The Curves Women's Health Initiative was launched in order to: 1.) examine short and long-term efficacy of the Curves fitness and weight loss programs; 2.) identify ways to optimize the Curves program through various diet, exercise, and/or nutritional interventions; and, 3.) examine ways to improve the health and well being of women.

About Curves