A self-regulation program for maintenance of weight loss

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Behavioral science
• Health psychology

Background:

• Weight regain is common after successful dieting, necessitating effective weight maintenance strategies.
• Self-regulation theory provides a framework for developing interventions to sustain weight loss.
• The study evaluated two delivery methods for a novel self-regulation-based maintenance program: face-to-face and internet-based.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a self-regulation program in maintaining weight loss.
• To compare the effectiveness of face-to-face versus internet delivery of the maintenance program.
• To identify key behaviors associated with successful weight maintenance.

Main Methods:

• 314 participants with prior significant weight loss were randomized into three groups: control (newsletters), face-to-face intervention, or internet intervention.
• All groups focused on self-regulation principles; intervention groups emphasized daily self-weighing.
• The primary outcome measured was weight gain over an 18-month period.

Main Results:

• The face-to-face group showed significantly less weight gain (2.5 kg) compared to the control group (4.9 kg).
• Participants in both face-to-face (45.7%) and internet (54.8%) groups had a lower proportion of significant weight regain (≥2.3 kg) than the control group (72.4%).
• Daily self-weighing was associated with a reduced risk of weight regain (P<0.001).

Conclusions:

• A self-regulation program incorporating daily weighing is effective for weight loss maintenance.
• Face-to-face delivery of the program yielded superior results compared to internet or newsletter-only approaches.
• The findings highlight the importance of behavioral strategies and delivery methods in long-term weight management.