Technical Skills for Weight Loss: Preliminary Data from a Randomized Trial

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Group versus Individual Treatments for Adult Obesity

“…Some excluded studies did not have comparable lifestyle interventions, intensity of intervention or ease of access to interventions. Such instances include Katz et al [17] and Yeh et al [18] who compared a novel group-based 'skill-building' intervention to an individual-based 'counselling' intervention; Ash et al [19] who compared a group-based 'cognitive behaviour therapy' to individualised 'dietetic treatment'; Hakala [20] who compared a group counselling intervention (involving a 2-week in-patient period, up to 40 group sessions, a multidisciplinary team, and individual physician appointments) to an individual counselling group (receiving no in-patient treatment phase, and attending 15 maximum possible physician visits); Long et al [21] who compared individual treatment groups attending 'weekly weigh-ins with opportunity for feedback' to a group treatment with participants attending '4 brief weigh-ins' only; and Perri et al [22] who compared individual treatment participants required to perform home-based exercise to group-based treatment participants who had to access the exercise facility away from home. Meta-analysis of our included studies showed that groupbased interventions are significantly more effective than individual-based interventions.…”

“…As noted earlier, we were only able to assume that some training in the delivery of group-based interventions was given to treatment providers in two trials [10,14] and suggest that future studies or evaluated programmes are more explicit in reporting training in group therapy, and incorporate training and monitoring of the delivery of group-based interventions to treatment providers. In evaluating the effectiveness of group-based interventions, it would be useful to have treatments that are validated and largely comparable across both group and individual comparison groups, and studies should include cost comparisons as was reported in Katz et al [17]. Some excluded studies did not have comparable lifestyle interventions, intensity of intervention or ease of access to interventions.…”

Technical skills for weight loss: 2-y follow-up results of a randomized trial

“…Detailed 6-month results have been published elsewhere. 17 From baseline to 12 months, the CBI group had a mean decrease in absolute weight of 1.8174.63 kg (P ¼ 0.17) compared to the SBI group of 0.7775.08 kg (P ¼ 0.58). The change in absolute weight from baseline to 24 months in the CBI group was a mean decrease of 1.0975.76 kg (P ¼ 0.50).…”

“…17 . In brief, the SBI was developed to provide skills that would support overcoming barriers to healthy eating, and thereby to test the published Pressure System Model of behavior change.…”

“…13 We previously reported results of a randomized, controlled trial of a novel skill-based intervention (SBI) that incorporated the IOM's recommendations for technical nutrition skills. 17 Overweight and obese women were taught skills for purchasing, ordering, and preparing food. Unlike traditional counseling-based interventions (CBIs), subjects were taught in groups at the various sites of action, supermarkets, restaurants, and their homes, where they could acquire and practice pertinent skills under the direct supervision of a dietitian.…”