Adherence
Extended care interventions (face-to-face, telephone, or internet-based) significantly improve long-term adherence and weight maintenance compared to standard care with no follow-up.
If you are starting a weight loss program, insist on a plan that includes regular check-ins (monthly or biweekly) for at least a year after you reach your goal. This 'extended care' is the most effective way to keep the weight off, whether through phone calls, internet tools, or in-person visits. Do not assume that reaching your goal means you are 'done'; maintenance requires active support.
providing participants with programs of extended care following initial treatment increases the maintenance of lost weight... the provision of care leads to, on average, the maintenance of an additional 3.2 kg of weight loss over 17.6 months compared with controls.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple RCTs and a meta-analysis cited in the review.
Source
Long-Term Adherence to Health Behavior Change
Kathryn R. Middleton et al. · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · 2013
DOI 10.1177/1559827613488867
More from this paper
- Physiological changes following weight loss, including decreased resting metabolic rate and increased hunger hormones (ghrelin) and decreased satiety hormones (leptin), actively promote weight regain and make long-term maintenance difficult.Strong
- Skills training, specifically relapse prevention and problem-solving skills, combined with extended care, significantly improves long-term weight maintenance compared to extended care alone or no further contact.Good
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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