Effects of sex of subject and spouse involvement on weight loss in a behavioral treatment program: A retrospective investigation

Abstract

A subject × treatment model was used to examine the effects on weight loss of sex of subject and spouse involvement in behavioral treatment. Eleven males and 9 females who had completed a 12-week session of behavioral obesity treatment with their spouses, and individually matched male and female subjects who had completed treatment without their spouses, were assessed at follow-up 9–14 months after treatment. Males demonstrated a significantly greater weight,loss than did females on absolute body weight, weight change, percent change in body weight, and the Reduction Index. Males also appeared to maintain weight loss better than females. Spouse involvement had no effect on weight loss during treatment or over follow-up. Differences in weight loss between sexes could not be attributed to differences in age, initial percent overweight, age of onset of obesity, socioeconomic status, number of previous behavioral treatment sessions, self-reported activity level, or self-reported inappropriate eating patterns. Possible explanations of male-female differences in response to treatment are examined, and methodological implications of findings for obesity treatment outcome studies are discussed.