Long-term weight maintenance after an intensive weight-loss program.
OBJECTIVE
This prospective study assessed long-term weight maintenance of patients completing an intensive very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) weight-loss program.


METHODS
Individuals who had completed the 12-week core education program and lost > or = 10 kg were recruited.


RESULTS
Of 154 eligible subjects, follow-up weights were obtained at > or = 2 years in 112 subjects (72.7%, 72 women, 40 men). Subjects had an average initial body mass index of 37.3 kg/m2 and an average weight loss of 29.7 kg in five months. Six hundred and forty-five follow-up weights (median, five per subject) were obtained over two to seven years of follow-up from clinic visits (70%) and self-report by telephone or mail (30%). Subjects regained an average of 2.5% per month of their lost weight during the first two to three years of follow-up; however, their weight stabilized over the next four years. Subjects regained an average of 73.4% of their weight loss during the first three years. The average weight loss maintained for 112 subjects was 22.8% of initial weight loss after an average of 5.3 years of follow-up. When successful weight maintenance was defined as maintaining a weight loss of 5% or 10% of initial (pre-treatment) body weight, 40% were maintaining a 5% weight loss at five years and 25% were maintaining a weight loss of 10% at 7 years. Multiple regression analyses suggested that age had a significant (p=0.004) and positive effect on weight maintenance.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that weight maintenance after an intensive VLCD program is improving but still needs intensive efforts to enable most individuals to maintain a substantial percentage of their weight loss long-term.
Anderson
J W
JW
VA Medical Center and University of Kentucky (HMR) Weight Management Program, Lexington, USA.
Vichitbandra
S
S
Qian
W
W
Kryscio
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss