What actually works to keep the weight off

There's a lot of talk, but not a lot of hard data, to show which weight-loss and weight maintenance strategies are actually effective. Fortunately, an article published last year in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity sheds some light on the subject using a fairly straightforward strategy: asking successful dieters.

In 2004, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta surveyed 2,124 adults over the age of 18 who had identified themselves through a written survey as those who had tried to lose weight during the past year. Of those, 587 had lost weight and kept it off, while 1,537 had either tried to lose weight and failed, or lost weight and then regained it.

In the written survey, respondents were also asked to specify which of 18 strategies they had used to lose weight. The options included such commonly-recommended strategies as reducing the amount of food they ate, exercising at least 30 minutes per day, or eating more fruits and vegetables, while other strategies included using over-the-counter diet products, eating meal replacement products, or eating less high-carbohydrate foods. Similarly, they were asked which of six behavioral strategies they used to control their weight in the long term, such as daily weigh-ins, measuring the food they put on their plate, and planning their meals.

After controlling for such factors as age, race, sex, and education level, the researchers found that men were far more likely to be successful weight-losers then women, and those under 29 were more likely to lose weight and keep it off than those 30 and over. But the most interesting results are that both the successful losers and the unsuccessful losers used the same 5 most common weight-loss strategies, which included smaller portions, reducing the amount of food eaten overall, more fruits and vegetables, fewer fatty foods, and no sweetened beverages. The difference between the successful losers and the unsuccessful losers? Exercise. Over 46% of the successful losers exercised 30 minutes or more each day, and the same number reported adding physical activity to their daily routine.

What this means for you

Med Diet Score is a great way for you to implement the successful behaviors of meal planning, portion control, and fewer fatty foods. But the key to long-term weight maintenance is clearly exercise: 30 minutes per day, most days of the week.

First posted: January 26, 2007