Abstract
BackgroundFrequent self-weighing is associated with successful weight loss and weight maintenance during and after weight loss interventions. Less is known about self-weighing behaviors and associated weight change in free-living settings.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association between the frequency of self-weighing and changes in body weight in a large international cohort of smart scale users.MethodsThis was an observational cohort study with 10,000 randomly selected smart scale users who had used the scale for at least 1 year. Longitudinal weight measurement data were analyzed. The association between the frequency of self-weighing and weight change over the follow-up was investigated among normal weight, overweight, and obese users using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear models. The association between the frequency of self-weighing and temporal weight change was analyzed using linear mixed effects models.ResultsThe eligible sample consisted of 9768 participants (6515/9768, 66.7% men; mean age 41.5 years; mean BMI 26.8 kg/m2). Of the participants, 4003 (4003/9768, 41.0%), 3748 (3748/9768, 38.4%), and 2017 (2017/9768, 20.6%) were normal weight, overweight, and obese, respectively. During the mean follow-up time of 1085 days, the mean weight change was –0.59 kg, and the mean percentage of days with a self-weigh was 39.98%, which equals 2.8 self-weighs per week. The percentage of self-weighing days correlated inversely with weight change, r=–0.111 (P<.001). Among normal weight, overweight, and obese individuals, the correlations were r=–0.100 (P<.001), r=–0.125 (P<.001), and r=–0.148 (P<.001), respectively. Of all participants, 72.5% (7085/9768) had at least one period of ≥30 days without weight measurements. During the break, weight increased, and weight gains were more pronounced among overweight and obese individuals: 0.58 kg in the normal weight group, 0.93 kg in the overweight group, and 1.37 kg in the obese group (P<.001).ConclusionsFrequent self-weighing was associated with favorable weight loss outcomes also in an uncontrolled, free-living setting, regardless of specific weight loss interventions. The beneficial associations of regular self-weighing were more pronounced for overweight or obese individuals.
Highlights
Self-monitoring of body weight is the cornerstone of behavioral weight loss interventions [1]
Frequent self-weighing was associated with favorable weight loss outcomes in an uncontrolled, free-living setting, regardless of specific weight loss interventions
We found that the intensity of self-weighing was inversely associated with weight change, and the beneficial associations of frequent self-weighing were more pronounced in obese and overweight individuals as compared to normal weight https://www.jmir.org/2021/6/e25529
Summary
Self-monitoring of body weight is the cornerstone of behavioral weight loss interventions [1]. Less is known about self-weighing practices and their effectiveness independent of the context of weight loss interventions. Most studies have investigated self-weighing behaviors through self-reported methods. Some studies have determined self-weighing frequency from actual self-weighing data, but further reduced it to a single aggregated frequency value [10,14,15]. Single aggregated categories may not reflect long-term weighing practices, as self-weighing frequency tends to change or decline over time [18,19,20]. Frequent self-weighing is associated with successful weight loss and weight maintenance during and after weight loss interventions. Less is known about self-weighing behaviors and associated weight change in free-living settings
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