Study: Layered program yields better weight loss results

PROVIDENCE – Researchers from The Miriam Hospital have found that adding evidence-based weight loss strategies to a statewide wellness campaign improves weight loss outcomes among participants. The study and its findings are published online in advance of print in the American Journal of Public Health.

Lead author Tricia Leahey and her colleagues chose to conduct a study among participants in Rhode Island’s annual, three-month statewide health campaign. Called Shape Up Rhode Island, the campaign was founded in 2005 and takes a grass-roots approach in reaching Rhode Islanders.

“Given their reach, statewide wellness initiatives like Shape Up Rhode Island have the potential to improve health in large numbers of individuals,” Leahey said. “However, weight losses produced are typically modest. Thus, we examined whether adding evidence-based weight loss strategies improves weight loss outcomes. We found that such an approach was effective and could, therefore, significantly improve the public health impact of these campaigns.”

For the study, 230 participants were recruited from the 2011 SURI campaign and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the standard SURI program, the SURI program plus an evidence-based internet behavioral weight loss program, or SURI plus the evidence-based internet program with the option to attend weekly group weight loss sessions.

- Advertisement -

At the end of three months, weight loss differed among all three groups. Both of the evidence-based approaches resulted in a significantly greater weight loss compared to the SURI campaign alone. In addition, the evidence-based programs increased the percentage of individuals who achieved a 5 percent, or clinically meaningful, weight loss. Among those who were using the evidence-based internet program in addition to SURI, 42 percent of the participants achieved a 5 percent weight goal; as did 54 percent of the group who also attended the weekly group sessions. Among participants using SURI alone, only 7 percent achieved a 5 percent weight loss.

No posts to display