Research

Adherence

A behavioral weight loss maintenance intervention is cost-effective for individuals with BMI ≥ 28 kg/m² if the per-person cost is ≤ £104.64, yielding a maximum justifiable cost at an ICER of £20,000 per QALY.

For a person with a BMI over 28, a behavioral weight loss maintenance program is considered cost-effective by UK health standards if it costs less than approximately £105 per person. This program focuses on maintaining weight loss through diet and exercise advice, aiming to slow down the typical weight regain seen after initial weight loss.

ModerateConditionalMEDIUM confidence
The justifiable cost for a weight loss maintenance intervention at an ICER of £20,000 per QALY was £104.64 for an individual with a BMI of 28 or over
Sarah Bates et al. · BMC Public Health · 2022

Why this rating

Based on a meta-analysis of RCTs and a validated health economic model, but relies on extrapolation of long-term weight regain.

Source

Using health economic modelling to inform the design and development of an intervention: estimating the justifiable cost of weight loss maintenance in the UK

Sarah Bates et al. · BMC Public Health · 2022

DOI 10.1186/s12889-022-12737-5

Meta-analysis · 9 studiesCited 9×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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