Adherence
Adding social influence strategies (monetary incentives, peer support) to maintenance programs improves adherence to weight loss strategies, though it does not necessarily lead to greater weight loss compared to therapist contact alone.
Using external rewards like group challenges or small incentives can help you stick to your plan in the short term. However, rely on these as a bridge to build habits, not the end goal. If you stop getting rewards, your adherence might drop. Focus on building problem-solving skills with a coach or support group to handle obstacles without needing external prizes.
The results showed that the addition of the social influence program (i.e., BCS) improved participant adherence during the year following treatment compared with the BC and BCA conditions. However, the higher levels of adherence in the social influence conditions were not accompanied by significantly better weight-loss progress.
Why this rating
RCT data, but self-reported adherence is the primary metric for this specific claim.
Source
Effects of four maintenance programs on the long-term management of obesity.
Michael G. Perri et al. · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · 1988
DOI 10.1037/0022-006x.56.4.529
More from this paper
- Post-treatment maintenance programs combining behavior therapy with ongoing therapist contact significantly improve long-term weight loss maintenance compared to behavior therapy alone.Good
- High-frequency aerobic exercise (up to 180 min/week) during maintenance does not significantly improve long-term weight loss compared to lower exercise levels, likely due to adherence difficulties.Good
- Combining high-frequency aerobic exercise with social influence strategies and therapist contact yields the best long-term weight loss maintenance, with one condition maintaining 99% of post-treatment weight loss at 18 months.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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