title: Strategies to prevent weight gain in workplace and college settings: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effectiveness of self-management, dietary, physical activity, and/or environmental strategies for the prevention of weight gain among adults in work and college settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review of work/college-based studies that intervened on adults using one or more of the above strategies with follow up over at least a 12-month period. We excluded studies with a weight loss component. Our weight outcomes included body mass index (BMI), weight, and waist circumference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 7 work- and 2 college-based interventional studies, which all used combinations of different strategies. There was moderate strength of evidence that work/college-based combination interventions prevented weight gain of ≥0.5kg over 12months as compared to control; however, we were unable to perform meta-analysis due to substantial heterogeneity in the intervention strategies and study populations. These programs did not prevent BMI gain or waist circumference increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While we found limited evidence that work/college-based interventions employing a combination of strategies prevent adult weight gain, the combination of personalized diet and physical activity counseling for the individual along with the promotion of healthy lifestyle changes in the environment may be a promising strategy to explore in future research.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: gudzune@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gudzune
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hutfless
authors.forename: Nisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maruthur
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Jodi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013333:Student Health Services / Q000379:methods; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015430:Weight Gain; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Obesity; Primary prevention; Review; Student health services; Workplace