title: Weight cycling and 6-year weight change in healthy adults: The Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the longitudinal relationship between a reported history of weight cycling and the trajectory of weight in a group of normal-weight to obese women and men.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a clinic-based cohort study conducted over 6 years. Subjects were healthy women (n = 141) and men (n = 797) age 20 to 78 years who completed at least four comprehensive medical exams at the Cooper Clinic (Dallas, TX) between 1987 and 2003. Weight loss history was reported, and body weight was measured at all examinations. Weight cycling status was derived from weight loss history and defined as > or = five episodes of weight loss of > or = 2.3 kg/episode. Using linear mixed effects models, weight at each examination was regressed on weight cycling status separately for women and men while controlling for selected covariables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline BMI was 23 and 21 kg/m2 among cycling and non-cycling women and was 27 and 25 kg/m2 among cycling and non-cycling men, respectively. We observed a non-significant difference (p = 0.09) in women by cycling status (average weight gain = 0.5 and 0.2 kg/yr among cyclers and non-cyclers, respectively) and no difference in weight gain over time among men by cycling status (average weight gain = 0.2 kg/yr among both groups, p = 0.99). Higher baseline cardiorespiratory fitness level and increased fitness over the follow-up were associated with attenuated weight gain in both women and men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy, middle-aged individuals, a history of weight cycling does not seem to increase the risk of long-term weight gain in men; however, this relation needs to be studied further in women.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. gretchen.vanwye@aya.yale.edu
authors: Gretchen
authors: G
authors: Van Wye
authors: Joel A
authors: JA
authors: Dubin
authors: Steven N
authors: SN
authors: Blair
authors: Loretta
authors: L
authors: Di Pietro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*