PREDICTORS OF WEIGHT CHANGE OVER 2 YEARS AMONG A POPULATION OF WORKING ADULTS - THE HEALTHY WORKER PROJECT

The present study examined behavioural predictors of body weight cross -sectionally and longitudinally in a cohort of 1639 male and 1913 fema le employees in 32 companies participating in a worksite intervention study for smoking cessation and weight control. Dietary intake, curren t and previous dieting behaviours, and physical activity were examined for their association with body weight over the two-year period. Cros s-sectionally in both men and women, history of previous dieting, prev ious participation in a formal weight loss programme, current dieting and meat consumption were positively related to body weight while high intensity activity was negatively related to body weight. Prospective ly, history of participation in a formal weight loss programme and die ting to lose weight at baseline, and increased consumption over time o f french fries, dairy products, sweets and meat, independently predict ed increases in body weight in women. Women who were dieting to lose w eight or who had previously participated in a formal weight loss progr amme at baseline gained 1.99lb and 1.74lb more, respectively, than tho se who were not dieting to lose weight or who had not previously parti cipated in a formal weight loss programme. Increased exercise, either walking or high intensity activity, predicted decreases in body weight in women (1.76lb and 1.39lb, respectively, for each session increase per week). In men, previous participation in a formal weight loss prog ramme predicted increases in body weight over the two-year period. Men who had previously participated in a formal weight loss programme at baseline gained 4.83lb more than those who had never previously partic ipated in a formal weight loss programme. Increases in consumption of sweets and egg were prospectively related to increases in body weight, while increased walking and high intensity activity were related to d ecreases in body weight (0.86lb and 3.54lb, respectively, for each ses sion increase per week). These results suggest the role that specific diet and exercise behaviours may play in body weight changes over time .