Obesity Treatment & Food
Weight Study Aim
Providing overweight patients with the food they should eat has been shown
to significantly improve weight loss in a behavioral treatment program.
The objective of this study was to examine the contribution of three components
of food provision to these positive effects: the specific meal plans indicating
what foods should be eaten at each meal; the food itself; and the fact
that the food was provided free. Subjects were 163 overweight women.
Weight Study Method
Randomized, controlled study with subjects assigned to one of four conditions:
(1) a standard behavioral treatment program (SBT) with weekly meetings
for six months; (2) SBT plus structured meal plans and grocery lists;
(3) SBT plus meal plans plus food provision, with subjects sharing the
cost; or (4) SBT plus meal plans plus free food provision.
Weight Study Results
Subjects in Group 1 lost significantly less weight than subjects in Groups
2-4 at the end of the six month program (-8.0 kg vs -12.0, -11.7 and -11.4
kg respectively) and at follow-up one year later (-3.3 kg vs -6.9, -7.5
and -6.6 kg respectively). No significant differences were seen in weight
loss between Groups 2-4, suggesting that the component of food provision
that is responsible for its success is the provision of highly structured
meal plans and grocery lists. Subjects receiving meal plans were more
likely to exhibit an eating pattern of three meals/day, had more definite
plans regarding what to eat and reported more favorable changes in foods
stored in their homes and in perceived barriers to weight loss.
Weight Study Conclusions
Providing structured meal plans and grocery lists improves outcome in
a behavioral weight control program; no further benefit is seen by actually
giving food to patients.
Source: Wing RR, Jeffery RW, Burton LR,
Thorson C, Nissinoff KS, Baxter JE. University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine, PA, USA. 1996
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