Losing weight is easy compared to keeping it off long-term, even with weight loss surgery. As reflected in the high number of participant dropout rates, one of the biggest challenges for any weight loss program is keeping patients engaged in long-term treatment of weight management.
This challenging situation was the basis for a study sponsored by the National Health, Lung and Blood Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Known as the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial (WLM), the study was designed to test the long-term effectiveness of different long-term intervention strategies for helping participants maintain weight loss.
When the results were in, the data showed that an interactive and personalized weight management website can help people maintain long-term weight loss.
The Weight Loss Maintenance Trial was one of the longest running and largest weight maintenance trials ever conducted. It lasted 30 months, involved more than 1,600 people, and took place at four study sites across the United States. Study participants had to be overweight or obese based on their Body Mass Index and taking medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The first six months of the trial was the weight loss phase. Participants were supported in their weight loss efforts by attending weekly meetings with weigh-ins, use of food diaries, and instruction regarding exercise and healthy eating. To remain in the weight maintenance phase of the trial, participants had to lose at least nine pounds.
The participants who proceeded to the weight maintenance phase were randomly placed into one of three groups: one without intervention, one that had personal contact with a health counselor once a month, and one with unlimited access to an interactive weight maintenance website created for the trial.
Upon completion of the WLM trial, the results showed that the participants who were consistent users of an interactive and personalized weight management website were more successful at maintaining long-term weight loss.
While the study did not follow bariatric surgery patients, the weight loss challenge is very similar. Maintaining weight loss over time requires permanent lifestyle changes in diet and exercise that is difficult to keep up, especially without the appropriate emotional and medical support.
Bariatric programs that provide support and follow-up medical support have consistently shown to improve the success rate of patients. If you are considering a surgical solution for morbid obesity, whether gastric bypass, gastric banding, or gastric sleeve, it is vital to your success to choose a comprehensive bariatric program that offers diet and exercise counseling, behavioral therapy and follow-up medical support.
Bariatric patients who are interested in on online support program may want to look into the REALIZE mySUCCESS program which is offered by Ethicon Endo-Surgery. The program was initiated for REALIZE Band patients, but was expanded to include gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients. Unlike other online weight loss websites, it is designed to specifically meet the needs of bariatric patients.
Sources:
- Associations of Internet Website Use With Weight Change in a Long-term Weight Loss Maintenance Program, J Med Internet Res 2010;12(3):e29
- REALIZE MySUCCESS Program
