Dispatch from the field: Is mathematical modeling applicable to obesity treatment in the real world?

Weight loss occurs when there is a deficit of energy intake compared to expenditure, and both components of this energy balance equation can dynamically change over time (1). For decades, the static 3500 kcal per pound rule was the standard method for calculating weight loss predictions. However, mathematical models of human body weight dynamics have demonstrated that the assumptions underlying the 3500 kcal per pound rule are flawed and its...