Factors affecting weight loss maintenance

Abstract

Obesity is one of the most prevalent public health problems, and is widely considered to be refractory to treatment. Inclusion of exercise and behavioral components in treatment programs has increased short term success rates of weight loss efforts, but long term outcome remains poor. Nevertheless, some individuals do maintain weight loss, studies have associated specific behaviors with weight loss maintenance, and practitioners constantly look to research for treatment methods associated with successful weight management. The investigation reported is of an examination of eating, exercise, and social support behaviors in graduates of a six month very low calorie diet research protocol, three years after completing that protocol. Analysis revealed that less weight was regained as fat intake decreased and activity level increased. Correlation between fat intake and regain was statistical1y significant, with p = .003 and r2 = 0.301. Inverse correlation between activity level and regained weight was also significant (p=.005 and r2 .275) Lower energy intake also positively correlated with lower levels of regained weight .(440) There was no correlation between social support and weight loss maintenance.