title: Self-weighing in weight management: a systematic literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Regular self-weighing, which in this article is defined as weighing oneself regularly over a period of time (e.g., daily, weekly), is recommended as a weight loss strategy. However, the published literature lacks a review of the recent evidence provided by prospective, longitudinal studies. Moreover, no paper has reviewed the psychological effects of self-weighing. Therefore, the objective is to review the literature related to longitudinal associations between self-weighing and weight change as well as the psychological outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic literature searches in PubMed, Ovid PsycINFO, and Ebscohost CINAHL were conducted. Keywords included overweight, obesity, self-weighing, etc. Inclusion criteria included trials that were published in the past 25 years in English; participants were adults seeking weight loss treatment; results were based on longitudinal data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results (N=17 studies) revealed that regular self-weighing was associated with more weight loss and not with adverse psychological outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety). Findings demonstrated that the effect sizes of association between self-weighing and weight change varied across studies and also that the reported frequency of self-weighing varied across studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from prospective, longitudinal studies provide evidence that regular self-weighing has been associated with weight loss and not with negative psychological outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Department of Health & Community Systems, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Yaguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Mary Lou
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Klem
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sereika
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Danford
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ewing
authors.forename: Lora E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Burke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001835:Body Weight; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs