Research

Adherence

A DPP-inspired lifestyle intervention providing low-cost, minimal-support options (simplified diet plans, YMCA membership, weekly phone calls) fails to produce significant weight loss in indigent, obese adults, whereas behavioral engagement (using the provided YMCA membership) and older age are associated with success.

For low-income individuals, simply giving them gym access or diet sheets is not enough to drive weight loss. Success requires active behavioral engagement, such as actually using the gym membership, and often benefits from older age or more intensive, individualized support to overcome logistical barriers like transportation and childcare.

ModerateRefutesMEDIUM confidence
A DPP-inspired lifestyle intervention tailored to low-SES patients through low cost, minimal record keeping options did not lead to the hypothesized loss of 5% body weight in this sample of patients. Factors associated with weight loss success included age quartile and a behavioral commitment to physical activity.
Maurice Duggins et al. · Kansas Journal of Medicine · 2019

Why this rating

Single-arm observational study with no control group, high attrition, and self-reported adherence proxies.

Source

Efficacy of a Lifestyle Program Designed to Help Indigent, Obese Adult Patients Lose Weight

Maurice Duggins et al. · Kansas Journal of Medicine · 2019

DOI 10.17161/kjm.v9i4.8623

clinical_trial · n=149
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →