Abstract
While many behavioural weight management programmes are effective in the short-term, post-programme weight regain is common. Overcoming "lapses" and preventing "relapse" has been highlighted as important in weight-loss maintenance, but little is known on how this is achieved. This study aimed to compare the cognitive and behavioural strategies employed to overcome "lapses" and prevent "relapse" by people who had regained weight or maintained weight-loss after participating in a weight management programme. By investigating differences between groups, we intended to identify strategies associated with better weight-loss maintenance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 participants (58% female) recruited from the 5-year follow-up of the Weight Loss Referrals for Adults in Primary Care (WRAP) trial (evaluation of a commercial weight-loss programme). Participants who had lost ≥5% baseline weight during the active intervention were purposively sampled according to 5-year weight trajectories (n = 16 'Regainers', n = 10 'Maintainers'). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically. Key differences in strategies were that Maintainers continued to pay attention to their dietary intake, anticipated and planned for potential lapses in high-risk situations, and managed impulses using distraction techniques. Regainers did not report making plans, used relaxed dietary monitoring, found distraction techniques to be ineffective and appeared to have difficulty navigating food within interpersonal relationships. This study is one of the longest qualitative follow-ups of a weight loss trial to date, offering unique insights into long-term maintenance. Future programmes should emphasize strategies focusing on self-monitoring, planning and managing interpersonal relationships to help participants successfully maintain weight-loss in the longer-term.
Highlights
Behavioural weight-management programmes for the treatment of obesity have been found to be effective in the short-term, but weight regain is common.[1,2,3,4,5] In the context of an obesogenic environment,[6] individuals are subjected to an array of internal and external pressures that challenge the continuation of weightmanagement behaviours
Dealing with lapses and preventing relapse is a particular threat during the maintenance phase, as accountability and reinforcement is minimal after completion of a programme
Comparison of findings between the two groups suggest that monitoring, planning and managing interpersonal relationships are crucial strategies for successfully maintaining weight loss maintenance
Summary
Behavioural weight-management programmes for the treatment of obesity have been found to be effective in the short-term, but weight regain is common.[1,2,3,4,5] In the context of an obesogenic environment,[6] individuals are subjected to an array of internal and external pressures that challenge the continuation of weightmanagement behaviours. Individuals may be less motivated to continue with challenging healthy behaviours when they are maintaining, rather than losing weight.[10] many people can and do maintain weight-losses,[11,12] little is known on how they achieve this and which cognitive and behavioural strategies are implemented and maintained in the longer-term.[13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
