title: Outpatient weight management in African-Americans: the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program (HELP) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Effective clinical weight management approaches are needed to reach African-Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  African-Americans recruited through outpatient practices for a culturally-adapted Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program were offered 10 weekly weight loss classes (Phase 1) with the option of continuing for another 8-18 months (Phase 2) in a randomized comparison of further group counseling or staff-facilitated self-help vs. follow-up clinic visits only.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 237 enrollees (91% women; mean age 43.5 years; mean body mass index 38.0 kg/m(2)), 70 [corrected] attended no classes or only the first Phase 1 class, 134 provided Phase 1 follow-up data, 128 were randomized in Phase 2, and 87 provided final follow-up data ("completers"). Mean weight changes for completers were: -1.5 (P < 0.001), +0.3 (P = 0.47), and -1.2 (P = 0.04) kg, respectively, for Phase 1, Phase 2, and overall (baseline to final visit; average 18 months total duration), with no Phase 2 treatment effect (P = 0.55). Final study weight was > or =5% below baseline for 25% of completers and was strongly predicted by Phase 1 weight loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight loss achieved in Phase 1 was maintained even with relatively minimal follow-up contact. Increasing the percent who achieve clinically significant weight loss initially would improve long-term results.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA. skumanyi@cceb.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Shiriki K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kumanyika
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shults
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.forename: Melicia C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Whitt
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brake
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kallan
authors.forename: Nayyar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Marjorie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bowman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015431:Weight Loss