Research paper
Klem ML, Wing RR, McGuire MT, Seagle HM, Hill JO. A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1997 Aug;66(2):239-46. doi:10.1093/ajcn/66.2.239. PMID: 9250100.
Why we cite it
A descriptive paper on the initial cohort (784 members) of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), which the authors call, hedged, ”to the best of our knowledge, the largest study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of weight loss” This paper is descriptive, not prospective: its abstract ends ”Future prospective studies will determine variables that predict continued maintenance”. It is a sample selected for success, so it describes what successful maintainers report, not what produces success. Its members had lost an average of 30 kg and maintained a required minimum loss of 13.6 kg for 5 years; it identifies shared behavioral patterns among successful maintainers (diet + exercise, high physical activity, low-fat intake), and documents that 42% find maintenance easier than the initial loss.
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