People who have lost weight are more likely to keep the pounds off if they receive regular support over the phone, research has demonstrated.
However, the findings also showed that telephone support when an individual is at risk of putting weight back on doesn’t provide any extra benefit.
The team behind the study say their findings support the need for long-term support for people with obesity, in a similar approach to other long-term health conditions.
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The study tracked 255 people with obesity who had lost at least 5% of their body weight through a weight-loss programme.
Each individual received a monthly telephone call – half of the group received the call once a month while the remaining participants received a call when an algorithm determined they were at greater risk of regaining weight.
Researchers found that after 20 months, participants across both groups maintained an average of 8% weight loss from their starting weight and more than half – 60% – kept off 5% or more of their initial weight.
Senior research scientist Dr Kathryn M. Ross said: “This study is important because it shows that ongoing support really does help people maintain their weight loss over time – outcomes in both groups were better than we expected.”
The study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a more personalised approach – whether giving extra support when someone is most at risk of regaining weight made a significant difference compared to standard monthly calls.
A key finding was the adaptive schedule, which saw people receive a call when deemed most at risk of weight gain, did not make a significant difference.
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Dr Ross said: “We have a couple of ideas about why this may be and are excited to get started on new studies to improve our algorithm for predicting weight regain.
“Our findings support the provision of long-term care for obesity, under a chronic disease model, just like we do for other long-term health issues.
“We hope this research encourages more clinics and health programmes to offer ongoing support to help people keep the weight off.”
Read more in JAMA Network Open
