HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Phelan, S. Articles by Wing, R. R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Phelan, S. Articles by Wing, R. R Agricola Articles by Phelan, S. Articles by Wing, R. R

Recovery from relapse among successful weight maintainers^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Psychiatry, Brown Medical School/The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI (SP and RRW); the Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver (JOH); the Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (WL); and The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI (JRD).

Background: Little is known about the natural history of weight change among persons who are successful at losing weight.

Objective: This study evaluated the occurrence of weight regain and recovery among 2400 persons in the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) who had lost an average (± SD) of 32.1 ± 17.8 kg and had kept it off for 6.5 ± 8.1 y.

Design: Participants were evaluated prospectively over 2 y.

Results: The mean reported weight change from entry into the NWCR to 2 y later was 3.8 ± 7.6 kg. At year 2, 96.4% of the sample remained 10% below their maximum lifetime weight. However, small regains were common, and few persons were able to re-lose weight after any weight regain. Of the participants who gained any weight between baseline and year 1 (n = 1483; 65.7%), only 11.0% returned to their baseline weight or below at year 2. Of the participants who relapsed, which was defined as a weight regain of 5% at year 1 (n = 575, or 25.5% of the sample), only 4.7% returned to their baseline weight or below at year 2, and only 12.9% re-lost at least half of their year 1 gain by year 2. Logistic regression showed that recovery was related to gaining less at year 1 and to smaller increases in depressive symptoms between baseline and year 1.

Conclusion: Although successful weight losers continued to maintain a large percentage of their weight losses over 2 y, recovery from even minor weight regain was uncommon.

Key Words: Weight loss • weight maintenance • weight regain • relapse • recovery • obesity • National Weight Control Registry

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Blaine Does Depression Cause Obesity?: A Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies of Depression and Weight Control J Health Psychol, November 1, 2008; 13(8): 1190 - 1197. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. Garcia Ulen, M. M. Huizinga, B. Beech, and T. A. Elasy Weight Regain Prevention Clin. Diabetes, July 1, 2008; 26(3): 100 - 113. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Terre Behavioral Medicine Review: Weight Control in a Land of Milk and Honey American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, December 1, 2007; 1(6): 447 - 450. [Abstract] [PDF]

				W.S. Leslie, C.R. Hankey, and M.E.J. Lean Weight gain as an adverse effect of some commonly prescribed drugs: a systematic review QJM, July 1, 2007; 100(7): 395 - 404. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. R. Wing, D. F. Tate, A. A. Gorin, H. A. Raynor, and J. L. Fava A self-regulation program for maintenance of weight loss. N. Engl. J. Med., October 12, 2006; 355(15): 1563 - 1571. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]