Contact with a counselor may help keep weight off.
The question: To avoid regaining lost pounds, might it help to participate in an interactive weight-control program, either on the Web or with personal contact?
This study involved 1,032 adults who had lost an average of 19 pounds while participating in a six-month weight-loss program that emphasized diet and physical activity. They were randomly assigned to follow one of three strategies to keep their weight off: a technology-based program with unlimited access to an interactive website; a program providing support and guidance through face-to-face or phone contact with a counselor; or a self-directed program with printed diet and activity recommendations. After 2 ½ years, people in all groups, on average, regained weight but still weighed less than at the start of the study. Those in the personal-contact group regained an average of 8.8 pounds, compared with 11.5 pounds for the Web-based group and 12.1 pounds for the self-directed group.
Who may be affected? People who want to sustain weight loss. Most health experts say that keeping weight off requires as much if not more effort and commitment as losing the pounds initially. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.
Caveats: In comparing the 3.3-pound difference in weight regained between the personal-contact and self-directed groups, the authors wrote: ''Even modest weight loss can improve cardiovascular risk factors,'' adding that a 2.2-pound loss correlates to a drop in systolic blood pressure of 1.0 to 2.4 mmHg and a reduced risk of diabetes.
Find this study in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Learn more about sustaining weight loss at www.uchospitals.edu (click ''Online Health Library'' and search for ''weight'') and www.mayoclinic.com (search for ``weight'').
