Combining behavioral weight loss treatment and a commercial program: a randomized clinical trial

Angela Marinilli Pinto, Joseph L Fava, Debra A Hoffmann, Rena R Wing, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Joseph L Fava, Debra A Hoffmann, Rena R Wing

Abstract

Objective: To test the hypothesis that a novel weight loss approach that combined the fundamental components of professionally delivered behavioral weight loss (BWL) treatment with the existing Weight Watchers (WW) program would produce better weight losses than WW alone no differences were expected between the novel treatment and BWL alone.

Design and methods: Participants were 141 overweight and obese adults (90% women, 67% non-White, mean age = 49.7 ± 9.2 years, mean body mass index = 36.2 ± 5.5 kg/m(2) ) randomly assigned to 48 weeks of BWL, 48 weeks of WW, or 12 weeks of BWL followed by 36 weeks of WW [combined treatment (CT)]. Assessments were conducted at baseline and weeks 12, 24, and 48, with weight change as the primary outcome.

Results: Linear mixed model analysis showed that 24-week weight losses did not differ significantly between treatment groups; however, weight losses at 48 weeks were greater in the WW group (M = -6.0 kg, standard error (SE) = 0.8) compared with the CT group (M = -3.6 kg, SE = 0.8; P = 0.032), with BWL not significantly different from either (M = -5.4 kg, SE = 0.8). Further, a greater proportion of WW participants lost 10% of baseline weight by 48 weeks compared with BWL or CT (36.7%, 13.0%, and 15.2%, respectively, P < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study shows that the WW program can produce clinically meaningful weight losses and provides no evidence that adding brief BWL to the WW program improves outcome.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00827593.

Conflict of interest statement

DISCLOSURES

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of participants. a Two participants excluded due to a diagnosis of cancer during the study period; b one participant excluded due to a diagnosis of cancer during the study period.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean weight changes by treatment group Data are mean weight losses at each assessment point covariate-adjusted for baseline weight. Error bars indicate SEM.

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