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Frequency and Consistency of Self‐Weighing to Promote Weight‐Loss Maintenance
Author(s) -
Brockmann Andrea N.,
Eastman Abraham,
Ross Kathryn M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.22828
Subject(s) - consistency (knowledge bases) , weight loss , medicine , body weight , zoology , statistics , mathematics , obesity , biology , geometry
Objective This study aimed to investigate the roles of frequency and consistency of self‐weighing in promoting weight‐loss maintenance. Methods Participants were 74 adults who completed a 3‐month internet‐based weight‐loss program followed by a 9‐month no‐intervention maintenance period. Frequency of self‐weighing was defined as the number of days that participants self‐weighed during the maintenance period via a study‐provided smart scale. Consistency was defined as the number of weeks that participants self‐weighed at a certain frequency, with multiple minimum thresholds examined. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess associations among frequency, consistency, and weight change during the maintenance period. Results Greater consistency was significantly associated with less weight regain when defined as the number of weeks that participants self‐weighed on ≥6 d/wk or 7 d/wk ( P values < 0.05). Contrary to hypotheses, frequency was not associated with weight change ( P = 0.141), and there was not a significant interaction between frequency and consistency. Conclusions Results demonstrate that consistency of self‐weighing may be more important than total frequency for preventing weight regain after the end of a weight‐loss program. Further, results suggest that a high level of consistency (self‐weighing for ≥6 d/wk or 7 d/wk) may be necessary to promote successful weight‐loss maintenance.