A descriptive study of weight loss maintenance: 6 and 15 year follow-up ofinitially overweight adults

OEJECTIVE: To describe factors associated with long-term maintenance of wei ght loss. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: We identified initially overweight individuals (body m ass index > 27 kg/m(2), n=911) from the nationwide Finnish Twin Cohort and studied those who lost at least 5% of their body weight between 1975 and 19 81. Subjects who had maintained weight loss until 1990 (38 men, 17 women) w ere compared to both re-gainers (28 men, 26 women) and the other overweight subjects in the cohort. MEASUREMENTS: Self-report data on weight, height, health behaviours and per ceived well-being; sell-report and register-based data on health status and use of medication. RESULTS: Only 6% of all overweight individuals lost and maintained at least 5% weight loss. In men weight loss maintenance was associated with a low l evel of stress and heal th-promoting behaviours but also with medical probl ems. Failure to maintain weight loss seemed to be associated with stressful life and past high alcohol intake. In women weight loss maintenance was as sociated with low initial well-being and health-compromising behaviours tha t improved after weight loss. CONCLUSION: Long-term weight loss maintenance is rare. predictors of weight loss maintenance are different between women and men.