Effect of a Community‐Based Weight Management Program on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

Abstract

Results: Individuals completing the 6-month program averaged a weight loss of 7.3% in men and 4.7% in women. Fasting lipids and blood glucose improved in both genders regardless of age. Outcomes including BMI and lipids improved in women regardless of menopausal status or hormone replacement therapy. There was a significant correlation between percentage weight loss and number of weekly counseling sessions attended and number of visits to the wellness center for exercise. Discussion: Participants who complete a structured community-based weight management program can achieve significant weight loss and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors regardless of age, gender, or menopausal status. Our analysis suggests that national treatment guidelines/recommendations for weight management can be effectively implemented in a community medical wellness center. The relatively high drop-out rate associated with this program suggests the need to identify strategies and techniques to enhance adherence and completion of programs.

Effectiveness of Australia's Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service®: Translational research with population wide impact

“…A significant number of participants withdrew from the programme between registering (14%) and before the first coaching call, without having experienced any of the coaching programme, and a substantial number (33%) then withdrew after completing half the programme. This "loss to follow up" level is consistent with drop-out levels reported in other studies (Graffagnino et al, 2006;Moroshko et al, 2011;Stead et al, 2007).…”

Adding Evidence-Based Behavioral Weight Loss Strategies to a Statewide Wellness Campaign: A Randomized Clinical Trial

“…Attrition was high in all studies (34%---58%) and, considering the intensity of the program (weekly in-person meetings), completer weight losses were modest (3.3 kg to 4.1 kg). Similarly, Graffagnino et al 17 more recently tested whether adding weekly individual counseling, dietary plans, and a free gym membership improves outcomes in a community campaign. Only 47% of participants completed and, despite the intensity, intent-to-treat weight losses were only 2.8 kilograms.…”

Participant perspectives of a 6-month telephone-based lifestyle coaching program

“…5 Other real-world weight-loss interventions also experience similar attrition rates. 7,8 Client views, expectations and values are central to effective coaching, and have a direct bearing on coaching progress. 9 Current evidence relating to factors influencing participant expectations, experiences, completion rates and attrition in lifestyle modification programs is sparse and largely limited to research contexts of randomised trials or efficacy trials.…”