BACKGROUND Long-term maintenance of weight loss remains a therapeutic challenge in obesity treatment. OBJECTIVE This multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to test the hypothesis that orlistat, a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, is significantly more effective than a placebo in preventing weight regain. DESIGN Obese subjects who lost > or = 8% of their initial bo...

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is, to the best of our knowledge, the largest study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of weight loss. Despite extensive histories of overweight, the 629 women and 155 men in the registry lost an average of 30 kg and maintained a required minimum weight loss of 13.6 kg for 5 y. A little over one-half of the sample lost weight through f...

OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine whether adding a self-regulatory intervention (SRI) focused on self-monitoring of spontaneous physical activity (SPA) and sedentary behavior to a standard weight loss intervention improved maintenance of lost weight. METHODS Older (65-79 years), obese (BMI = 30-40 kg/m(2) ) adults (n = 48) were randomized to a 5-month weight loss intervention involving...

OBJECTIVE A weight loss maintenance trial involving weight loss prior to randomization is challenging to implement due to the potential for dropout and insufficient weight loss. We examined rates and correlates of non-initiation, dropout, and insufficient weight loss during a weight loss maintenance trial. METHODS The MAINTAIN trial involved a 16-week weight loss program followed by randomiza...

This research explored whether developing mindfulness and self-compassion through meditation supports weight loss. The research addressed if (a) mindfulness meditation and (b) mindfulness with self-compassion Meditation (through loving kindness meditation and psychoeducational material to develop self-compassion) aid weight loss and maintenance. Sixty-three soldiers followed independent diet pl...

OBJECTIVE The current study examined ethnic differences in patterns of weight loss and regain in response to an initial behavioral weight loss intervention followed by an extended-care maintenance program. METHODS We analyzed data from 224 women (African American n = 43, Caucasian n = 181) from rural communities who participated in an initial 6-month lifestyle intervention for obesity and wer...

BACKGROUND Research has shown that meal replacement calorie reduction combined with lifestyle change can more than double the weight loss seen with other diets. However, its widespread acceptance by physicians has been limited, perhaps waiting on evidence that patients are successful in keeping lost weight off. METHODS Obese patients (108.4 ± 25.7 kg, BMI 38.1 ± 7.9 kg/m2) used a diet of meal...

Evidence has suggested that self-weighing may be beneficial for weight control in adults, but few studies have independently assessed the contribution of this behavior to weight loss. This study experimentally tested daily self-weighing and visual feedback (the Caloric Titration Method (CTM)) as a weight loss and weight loss maintenance intervention over 2 years. 162 overweight individuals were...

This study investigated whether the addition of the high-intensity sweetener aspartame to a multidisciplinary weight-control program would improve weight loss and long-term control of body weight. One hundred sixty-three obese women were randomly assigned to consume or to abstain from aspartame-sweetened foods and beverages during 16 wk of a 19-wk weight-reduction program (active weight loss), ...