title: Weight loss and self-regulatory eating efficacy in older adults: the cooperative lifestyle intervention program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using the weight efficacy lifestyle questionnaire (WEL), we examined whether a group-mediated intervention for weight loss among older, obese adults resulted in changes in self-regulatory self-efficacy for eating behavior and whether these changes mediated weight loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized controlled design, and 288 older adults received 1 of 3 treatments for 6 months: physical activity only (PA), weight loss + physical activity (WL + PA), or a successful aging (SA) health education program. The WEL was administered prior to randomization and again at the 6-month follow-up visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant treatment effect was observed for the WEL, F (2249) = 15.11, p < .0001, partial eta2 = .11, showing that improvement occurred only in the WL + PA group as compared with PA and SA. Changes in WEL scores partially mediated the effects of the WL + PA intervention on weight loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results illustrate that WL + PA can be effective in improving older adults' self-efficacy for the self-regulation of eating behavior and that these changes are prospectively related to the amount of weight loss. Further research is warranted on an expanded concept of self-efficacy as well as controlled experimental studies on eating behavior in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, P.O. Box 7868, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA. rejeski@wfu.edu
authors.forename: W Jack
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Rejeski
authors.forename: Shannon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Mihalko
authors.forename: Walter T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Ambrosius
authors.forename: Lucille B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Bearon
authors.forename: Jacquelyn W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McClelland
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D015431:Weight Loss