Predicting long‐term weight loss maintenance in previously overweight women: A signal detection approach. (10th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santos, Inês; Mata, Jutta; Silva, Marlene N.; Sardinha, Luís B.; Teixeira, Pedro J.
• Is Part Of: Obesity. Volume 23:Number 5(2015:May)
• Page Start: 957
• Page End: 964
• Publication Date: 2015-04-10
• Subjects: Obesity -- Periodicals; 616.398005
• DOI: 10.1002/oby.21082
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1930-7381

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="oby21082-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>Examine psychological and behavioral predictors of 3‐year weight loss maintenance in women.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby21082-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Participants were 154 women in a 1‐year randomized controlled trial on weight management with a 2‐year follow‐up. Signal detection analyses identified behavioral and psychological variables that best predicted 5% and 10% weight loss at 3 years.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby21082-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Women with better body image were more likely to have lost ≥5% weight at 3 years (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). Exercise intrinsic motivation had a partial compensatory effect, in that women with poor body image but higher motivation were more likely to maintain weight loss than women with poor body image and lower motivation (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). Women with high exercise autonomous motivation were three times more likely to have lost ≥10% weight than were those with lower autonomous motivation (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). Among women with lower autonomous motivation, perceiving fewer exercise barriers was somewhat compensatory: these women were more likely to maintain weight loss than women with lower autonomy but more perceived barriers (<italic>P</italic> < 0.01).</p> </sec> <sec id="oby21082-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>In overweight women, improving body image and increasing autonomous and intrinsic motivation for exercise likely promotes clinically significant long‐term weight loss maintenance. Decreasing perceived exercise barriers is another promising intervention target.</p> </sec> </abstract>