Exploring potential reach and representativeness of a self ‐weighing weight gain prevention intervention in adults with overweight and obesity

SummaryMost adults with obesity do not enrol  in comprehensive weight loss interventions when offered. For these individuals, lower burden self-weighing interventions may offer an acceptable alternative, though data is lacking on the potential for reach and representativeness of such interventions. Health system patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (or 25 –30 kg/m2 with an obesity comorbidity) completed a general health survey. During the survey, patients were given information about comprehensive weight loss interventions. If they denied interest or did not enrol in a comprehensive intervention, they were offered enrolment in a low-burden  weight gain prevention intervention focused on daily self-weighing using a cellular network-connected in-home scale without any dietary or physical activity prescriptions. Enrolment in this program was documented. Among patients offered the self-weighing intervention (n = 85; 55.3% men; 58.8% White; BMI = 34.2 kg/m2), 44.2% enrolled. Compared to those who did not enrol, enrollers had higher educational attainment (57.1% vs. 42.9% with bachelor's degreep = .02), social anxiety (5.8 vs. 2.8,p <  .001), and perceptions of the effectiveness of the self-weighing intervention (25.8 vs. 20.9 on 35,p = .007). The most highly endorsed reason for not enrolling in the self-weighing intervention was that it would make individuals overly focused on weight. A low-intensity weight gain prevention intervention may serve as a viab...
Source: Clinical Obesity - Category: Eating Disorders & Weight Management Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL RESEARCH Source Type: research