title: Effects of exercise-focused versus weight-focused maintenance programs on the management of obesity.
abstract: This study examined the effects of two maintenance programs on exercise participation, energy expenditure, energy consumption, and weight change in 67 obese adults undergoing behavioral weight-loss treatment. Following an initial 6-month treatment phase which produced a mean weight loss of 8.8 kg, participants were assigned randomly to an exercise-focused maintenance program or to a weight-focused maintenance program. Both maintenance programs included 6 months of biweekly group sessions. The exercise-focused program included supervised group walking sessions, individual and group contingencies for exercise completion, and relapse prevention training targeted specifically at the maintenance of physical activity. The weight-focused program contained a general focus on the maintenance of weight-loss through therapist-led group problem-solving of weight-related problems presented by individual participants. At the completion of the maintenance program and at long-term follow-up, there were no significant differences between conditions in exercise participation or energy expenditure. However, during the year following initial treatment, participants in the weight-focused program demonstrated significantly greater reductions in fat consumption and significantly better maintenance of weight losses than subjects in the exercise-focused program.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0165, USA.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Leermakers
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Shigaki
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Fuller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology*; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss