Weight Maintenance and Relapse in Obesity
Weight Loss Study Aim
To investigate, among women with obesity who have lost weight, the psychological
factors associated with successfully maintaining the new lower weight,
as opposed to weight regain.
Weight Loss Study Method
Qualitative research methods (in-depth individual interviews and group
interviews) were used to assess the characteristics of successful weight
maintainers, as compared with weight regainers and healthy-weight women.
Weight Loss Study Subjects
In all, 76 females were recruited from the community, comprising 28 formerly
obese women who had lost weight and maintained their new lower weight
for at least 1 y; 28 obese women who had lost weight but regained the
weight that they had lost; and 20 women with a stable weight in the healthy
range.
Weight Loss Study Results
Certain psychological factors were identified which characterized the
regainers but not the maintainers. These factors were: failure to achieve
weight goals and dissatisfaction with the weight achieved; the tendency
to evaluate self-worth in terms of weight and shape; a lack of vigilance
with regard to weight control; a dichotomous (black-and-white) thinking
style; and the tendency to use eating to regulate mood.
Weight Loss Study Conclusion
The results suggest that psychological factors may provide some explanation
as to why many people with obesity regain weight following successful
weight loss. The factors identified in this study need to be examined
further using prospective designs.
Sources:
Byrne S, Cooper Z, Fairburn C. University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry,
Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
International Journal of Obesity (2003)
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