Research

Adherence

Self-selection of behavioral weight loss programs (DPP vs. HWL) in adults with obesity results in balanced enrollment (approx. 50/50 split) without significant bias from BMI, age, or baseline health conditions, though race, income, education, and prior weight loss history do influence program preference.

If you are designing or choosing a weight loss program, offering a choice between different behavioral models (e.g., strict logging vs. biological focus) does not inherently break the study or skew results. However, be aware that race, income, education, and past weight loss history may influence which program a participant prefers. Matching the program to these factors may improve initial engagement.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
The estimated probability of choosing either program was not significantly different from .5 (N = 1005, 50.8% DPP and 49.2% HWL, p = .61)... Non-White participants (p = .040) and those with monthly income greater than $4999 (p = .002) were less likely to choose DPP. Participants who had post-graduate education (p = .007), did not report high serum cholesterol (p = .028), and reported not having tried losing weight before (p = .025) were more likely to choose DPP.
Yasaman Jamshidi‐Naeini et al. · Clinical Obesity · 2023

Why this rating

Cross-sectional survey via MTurk; measures stated preference, not actual adherence or weight loss outcomes.

Source

Factors associated with choice of behavioural weight loss program by adults with obesity

Yasaman Jamshidi‐Naeini et al. · Clinical Obesity · 2023

DOI 10.1111/cob.12591

cross_sectional · n=1005Cited 1×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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 →