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The definition of weight maintenance
J Stevens1, K P Truesdale, J E McClain
1Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. June_Stevens@unc.edu
International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|November 23, 2005
Summary
Defining long-term weight maintenance in adults remains unclear. Researchers recommend a standard definition of less than 3% body weight change to account for clinical relevance and biological factors.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Lack of a standardized definition for weight maintenance in adults.
- Need for a definition considering clinical relevance, measurement error, and biological variability.
- Importance of a definition that is comparable across body sizes and easily understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a standardized definition for long-term weight maintenance in adults.
- To establish a threshold for weight change that is clinically meaningful yet accounts for normal fluctuations.
- To provide a definition applicable to public health and clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- Review of expert opinions and existing literature on weight maintenance.
- Consideration of factors including measurement error, fluid balance, and biological relevance.
- Development of a definition adaptable to different body sizes.
Main Results:
- A recommended definition for long-term weight maintenance is proposed.
- The proposed definition suggests a weight change of less than 3% of body weight.
- This threshold aims to distinguish between significant weight change and normal variations.
Conclusions:
- A consensus definition for adult weight maintenance is crucial for research and clinical practice.
- A <3% body weight change threshold offers a practical and scientifically sound definition.
- This definition facilitates consistent interpretation of weight maintenance studies and interventions.