Prescribed "breaks" as a means to disrupt weight control efforts

Research on long-term maintenance of weight loss is hampered by the fact that relapse typically does not occur until after 6 months. We sought to determine whether relapses could be induced earlier by intentionally interrupting the momentum of weight loss during a treatment program and thus provide a model for weight maintenance research.

Subjects (N = 142) were recruited at two centers and randomly assigned to a control group, a long break group (LB), or a short break group (SB). The control group received a standard behavioral weight loss program with 14 weekly sessions; the LB and SB groups received the same. However, the LB group took a 6-week break after lesson 7, and the SB group took a 2-week break after lessons 3, 6, and 9. Participants were instructed to stop all weight loss efforts during breaks.

Participants seemed to take breaks as prescribed, with interruptions in self-monitoring, dietary adherence, and self-weighing (but not in exercise). However, participants quickly resumed these behaviors after the break. Breaks produced a slowing of weight loss or slight regain, but weight losses during the breaks were not significantly different from the control group. Importantly, overall weight losses (0 to 5 months or 0 to 11 months) did not differ between conditions.

This study was not successful in developing a method to experimentally produce weight loss relapses. However, the finding that prescribed breaks do not have adverse effects may have clinical application.