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Title: Multi-component access to a community-based weight loss program: 12 week results

Author
item JOHNSTON, CRAIG - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item ROST, STEPHANIE - Weight Watchers International, Inc
item MILLER-KOVACH, KAREN - Weight Watchers International, Inc
item MORENO, JENNETTE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item FOREYT, JOHN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Society for Behavioral Medicine
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2012
Publication Date: 3/20/2013
Citation: Johnston, C.A., Rost, S., Miller-Kovach, K., Moreno, J.P., Foreyt, J.P. 2013. Multi-component access to a community-based weight loss program: 12 week results [abstract]. In: Proceedings 34th Annual Meeting of Society for Behavioral Medicine, March 20-23, 2013, San Francisco, California. 45(2):s217.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The current study examined weight loss between a comprehensive lifestyle modification program (Weight Watchers PointsPlus program) that included three ways to access and a self-help (SH) condition. A total of 293 participants were randomized to either a Weight Watchers condition (WW) (n=148) or a SH condition (n=145). Participants in the WW condition were provided with three ways to access the treatment: 1) weekly meetings, 2) WW mobile application, and 3) at WW online tools. Measured heights and weights were obtained at baseline and 3 months. Additionally, self-report of use for accessing each component was collected at 3 months. Data were available for 258 subjects at the 12-week point (drop out: 13.5%). A significant interaction of time and condition for BMI (F=71.1, p<.001) was found, indicating that participants in the WW condition significantly decreased their BMI at 3 months compared to participants in the SH condition. Mean weight loss for the WW and SH groups was 3.9+/-3.3 kg and 0.8+/-2.7 kg respectively. Those in the WW group were 9.8 times more likely to achieve a 5% reduction in baseline weight at 3 months. In a secondary analysis, the use of the access options for the WW treatment were examined. Those using all three access routes to a high degree had the greatest weight loss (p < .001) and those using two access routes to a high degree had significantly more weight loss (p < .05) than those using one or no components to a high degree. Use of the comprehensive lifestyle modification program yielded significantly greater weight loss and likelihood of achieving a 5% loss within 12 weeks than a self-help approach. Further, high usage of the multiple ways in which to access the structured program was associated with greater weight loss results.