Adherence
Increasing the intensity of minimal intervention (from leaflets to multiple sessions of advice) and increasing the frequency of weigh-ins are both associated with greater weight loss in unadjusted models, but this association disappears when both factors are considered together.
While simply weighing yourself or getting brief advice can help you lose some weight, combining these strategies might not add extra benefit beyond what you get from just one. The key takeaway is that engagement itself drives weight loss, so focus on staying engaged rather than trying to optimize the specific type or frequency of minimal contact.
However, when both variables were placed in the same model, neither intervention category nor number of weigh-ins was associated with weight change.
Why this rating
Meta-regression of 29 RCTs provides strong observational data, though the lack of significance in the adjusted model limits causal inference.
Source
Weight change among people randomized to minimal intervention control groups in weight loss trials
D.J. Johns et al. · Obesity · 2016
DOI 10.1002/oby.21255
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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 →