Adherence
Monthly brief personal contact (telephone/face-to-face) provides modest but statistically significant benefit in sustaining weight loss compared to self-directed control over 30 months.
To maintain weight loss, schedule brief monthly check-ins with a coach, doctor, or support group. These should be short (5-15 minutes) and focus on reviewing progress, addressing barriers, and reinforcing goals. This external accountability significantly reduces the amount of weight regained compared to trying to maintain weight loss entirely on your own.
Participants in the personal-contact group regained less weight (4.0 kg) than those in the self-directed group (5.5 kg; mean difference at 30 months, −1.5 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI], −2.4 to −0.6 kg; P=.001).
Why this rating
Large randomized controlled trial (n=1032) with long follow-up (30 months) and rigorous statistical adjustment.
Source
Comparison of Strategies for Sustaining Weight Loss<subtitle>The Weight Loss Maintenance Randomized Controlled Trial</subtitle>
Laura P. Svetkey · JAMA · 2008
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