Abstract
SummaryAimWe conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies to examine the strategies people employ as part of self‐directed weight loss attempts, map these to an existing behaviour change taxonomy and explore attitudes and beliefs surrounding these strategies.MethodsSeven electronic databases were searched in December 2015 for qualitative studies in overweight and obese adults attempting to lose weight through behaviour change. We were interested in strategies used by participants in self‐directed efforts to lose weight. Two reviewers extracted data from included studies. Thematic and narrative synthesis techniques were used.ResultsThirty one studies, representing over 1,000 participants, were included. Quality of the included studies was mixed. The most commonly covered types of strategies were restrictions, self‐monitoring, scheduling, professional support and weight management aids. With the exception of scheduling, for which participant experiences were predominantly positive, participants' attitudes and beliefs surrounding implementation of these groups of strategies were mixed. Two new groups of strategies were added to the existing taxonomy: reframing and self‐experimentation.ConclusionsThis review demonstrates that at present, interventions targeting individuals engaged in self‐management of weight do not necessarily reflect lived experiences of self‐directed weight loss.
Highlights
Overweight and obesity are a major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide, with the World Health Organization estimating that they cause at least 35.8 million disability adjusted life years and 2.8 million deaths annually [1]
Summary Aim: We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies to examine the strategies people employ as part of self-directed weight loss attempts, map these to an existing behaviour change taxonomy and explore attitudes and beliefs surrounding these strategies
Seven electronic databases were searched in December 2015 for qualitative studies in overweight and obese adults attempting to lose weight through behaviour change
Summary
Overweight and obesity are a major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide, with the World Health Organization estimating that they cause at least 35.8 million disability adjusted life years and 2.8 million deaths annually [1] For these reasons and others, many adults try to lose weight: at any one time, over a quarter of American women are trying to lose weight (27%), with men not far behind (22%) [2]. It is widely recognized and accepted that increasing energy expenditure and decreasing energy intake (in effect, creating a negative energy balance) lead to weight loss in otherwise healthy adults. Despite this seemingly simple formula, weight loss efforts are often unsuccessful, and in adults who manage to initially lose weight, weight regain is common, due in part to powerful biological and environmental forces. Current research focuses on how poor diet and lack of activity cause disease [6,7], but we know much less about how changes in these behaviours can be initiated and maintained – in particular, very little
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