BEhavioural Weight Management: COMponents of Effectiveness (BE:COME) Synopsis

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Behavioural science
• Public health interventions

Background:

• Behavioural weight management interventions are primary UK obesity treatments.
• Evidence on effectiveness and guidance is limited.
• Research identifies key components for improved outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Map components of behavioural weight management interventions.
• Analyze individual participant data using network meta-analyses.
• Investigate the relative effectiveness of intervention components for weight loss.

Main Methods:

• Two-stage Bayesian network meta-analysis and component network meta-analysis.
• Utilized individual participant data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world services.
• Analyzed mean weight change at 12 weeks.

Main Results:

• All interventions led to weight loss; Football Fans in Training showed greatest loss in RCTs.
• Face-to-face, weekly diet/physical activity sessions yielded most weight loss in real-world services.
• Tailoring, flexibility, and multimodal referral were key effective components across settings.

Conclusions:

• Behavioural interventions are effective short-term but show variable weight loss.
• Tailoring, flexibility, multimodal referral, in-person delivery, and personalized dietary advice improve weight loss.
• Identified effective components can refine future obesity management strategies.