Prevalence and predictors of weight-loss maintenance in a biracial cohort: results from the coronary artery risk development in young adults study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-randomized prospective cohort follow-up study
PubMed 21084075 · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2010.08.008
What was done
Researchers analyzed data from the CARDIA study, a population-based longitudinal cohort of African-American and white adults. Among 1,869 overweight or obese participants without major disease in 1995, 536 (29%) lost ≥5% of their body weight between 1995 and 2000. Changes in weight, physical activity, behavioral, and psychosocial factors were then tracked from 2000 to 2005 to identify predictors of maintaining ≥75% of that weight loss over 5 years.
What was found
Of the 536 participants who lost ≥5% body weight, 34% (n=180) maintained ≥75% of the weight loss between 2000 and 2005, while 66% regained. Higher odds of successful maintenance were associated with smoking (OR=3.4, p=0.0001), history of diabetes (OR=2.2, p=0.04), African-American race (OR=1.7, p=0.03), increases in emotional support between 2000 and 2005 (OR=1.6, p=0.01), increases in moderate physical activity between 2000 and 2005 (OR=1.4, p=0.005), and less sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption in 2005 (OR=0.8, p=0.006).
Why it matters
This study provides population-based evidence that roughly one-third of individuals maintain substantial weight loss over 5 years, identifying modifiable targets including increased physical activity, emotional support, and decreased sugar-sweetened beverage intake.
Limits
The observational design cannot establish causality. The abstract does not distinguish between intentional and unintentional weight loss, which may account for associations with smoking and diabetes history. Behavioral and psychosocial predictors relied on self-report.
Cited by
- contradicts Only approximately 5 to 10% of individuals who lose weight successfully maintain the weight loss long term.