[Long-term results of treatment of overweight in self-help groups]

The long-term results achieved by people trying to lose weight by participating in organised self-help groups have previously been reported as quite satisfactory. Our objective was to explore whether a change of diet and treatment policy produced a change of outcome. We report the results of a survey among 1,340 earlier participants in self-help groups, randomly sampled from the files of group leaders all over Norway. 657 (49%) responded; the mean follow-up time since first group participation was three years. The survey results was supplemented by information from the group leaders' files. The participants had on average kept 62% of their initial weight-loss. 39% of the participants had kept their initial weight-loss or had gone further down in weight. The result is among the best reported in the literature. Even if all participants who did not respond had regained all initial weight-loss, 16% of the total sample would in fact have kept their weight-loss. Exercise and adherence to nutrition advice in the groups were factors pointing to positive long-term results.