ONE-YEAR BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT OF OBESITY - COMPARISON OF MODERATE ANDSEVERE CALORIC RESTRICTION AND THE EFFECTS OF WEIGHT MAINTENANCE THERAPY

This study compared the weight losses of 49 obese women randomly assig ned to a 52-week behavioral program combined with either moderate or s evere caloric restriction. Subjects in the balanced deficit diet (BDD) condition were prescribed a 1,200-kcal/day diet throughout treatment, and those in the very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) condition were given a 420-kcal/day liquid diet for 16 weeks and a 1,200-kcal/day diet therea fter. The VLCD subjects lost significantly more weight than the BDD su bjects at all periods through Week 26, at which time mean losses were 21.45 and 11.86 kg, respectively. VLCD subjects, however, regained wei ght during the next 26 weeks of weekly therapy and during a 26-week we ight maintenance program that provided biweekly meetings. Mean weight losses at the end of the maintenance program were 10.94 and 12.18 kg, respectively. Reports of binge eating declined in both groups, and no relationship was observed between binge eating and weight loss or attr ition.