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Original Article
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Volume 355:1563-1571 October 12, 2006 Number 15
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A Self-Regulation Program for Maintenance of Weight Loss
Rena R. Wing, Ph.D., Deborah F. Tate, Ph.D., Amy A. Gorin, Ph.D., Hollie A. Raynor, Ph.D., and Joseph L. Fava, Ph.D.

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ABSTRACT

Background Since many successful dieters regain the weight they lose, programs that teach maintenance skills are needed. We developed a maintenance program based on self-regulation theory and tested the efficacy of delivering the program face to face or over the Internet.

Methods We randomly assigned 314 participants who had lost a mean of 19.3 kg of body weight in the previous 2 years to one of three groups: a control group, which received quarterly newsletters (105 participants), a group that received face-to-face intervention (105), and a group that received Internet-based intervention (104). The content of the programs in the two intervention groups was the same, emphasizing daily self-weighing and self-regulation, as was the frequency of contact with the groups. The primary outcome was weight gain over a period of 18 months.

Results The mean (±SD) weight gain was 2.5±6.7 kg in the face-to-face group, 4.7±8.6 kg in the Internet group, and 4.9±6.5 kg in the control group, with a significant difference between the face-to-face group and the control group (2.4 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.002 to 10.8; P=0.05). The proportion of participants who regained 2.3 kg or more over the 18-month period was significantly higher in the control group (72.4%) than in the face-to-face group (45.7%; absolute difference, 27%; 95% CI, 14 to 39; P<0.001) or the Internet group (54.8%; absolute difference, 18%; 95% CI, 5 to 30; P=0.008). Daily self-weighing increased in both intervention groups and was associated with a decreased risk of regaining 2.3 kg or more (P<0.001).

Conclusions As compared with receiving quarterly newsletters, a self-regulation program based on daily weighing improved maintenance of weight loss, particularly when delivered face to face. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00067145 [ClinicalTrials.gov] .)


Source Information

From Brown Medical School (R.R.W., A.A.G., H.A.R.) and Miriam Hospital (R.R.W., A.A.G., H.A.R., J.L.F.) — both in Providence, RI; and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (D.F.T.).

Address reprint requests to Dr. Wing at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, 196 Richmond St., Providence, RI 02903, or at rwing{at}lifespan.org.

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