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Readiness redefined: a behavioral task during screening predicted 1-year weight loss in the look AHEAD study
Adam G Tsai1, Anthony N Fabricatore, Thomas A Wadden
1University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|October 24, 2013
Summary
Detailed food records at screening predict greater weight loss in clinical trials. Objective behavioral assessments, like food record completeness, may better gauge readiness for change in weight management programs.
Area of Science:
- Obesity research
- Behavioral science
- Clinical trial methodology
Background:
- Predicting weight loss trial outcomes from baseline characteristics is challenging.
- Readiness to change is commonly assessed via self-report, which may lack objectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if behavioral task performance during screening predicts weight loss outcomes.
- To assess the utility of objective behavioral metrics for evaluating weight loss readiness.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of food record completeness from the Look AHEAD study (n=549).
- Metrics included words, numbers, eating episodes per day, and physical activity days per week.
- Primary outcome was one-year weight loss.
Main Results:
- More detailed food records (higher word/number counts) correlated with greater weight loss.
- Multivariable analysis showed significant associations between word count and weight loss percentages.
- Individuals recording ≥34 words/day lost 12.08% weight vs. 8.98% for <20 words/day.
Conclusions:
- Detailed food record keeping at screening is a predictor of successful weight loss.
- Objective behavioral screening tools, such as food record analysis, may enhance the assessment of readiness for weight loss interventions.
