Greater weight loss with increasing age in the weight loss maintenance trial
Open accessAbstract
Objective: To determine the effect of age on weight loss and weight loss maintenance in participants in the Weight Loss Maintenance trial (WLM). Design and Methods: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of overweight/obese adults with CVD risk factors was conducted. Participants were 1685 adults with baseline BMI 25‐45 kg m 2 with hypertension and/or dyslipidemia. Those who lost at least 4kg in an initial 6‐month behavioral weight loss intervention (N = 1,032) were randomly assigned to a 30‐month maintenance phase of self‐directed control (SD), monthly personal counseling (PC), or unlimited access to an internet‐based intervention (IT). Age groups were defined post‐hoc and weight change was compared among age groups. Results: Participants ≥60 years old initially lost more weight than younger individuals, and sustained greater weight loss in IT and PC but not in SD (P value for trend 0.024, 0.002, and 0.36, respectively). Conclusions: In WLM, adults age ≥60 years had greater initial weight loss and greater sustained weight loss over 3 years, compared to younger adults. Older adults had greater weight loss maintenance with either personal counseling or internet‐based intervention. Future research should determine optimal implementation strategies and effects of weight loss on health outcomes in older adults.
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Previous research has suggested that older adults ≥60 years of age may experience weight loss at a greater rate than younger adults.
“Previous research has suggested that older adults ≥60 years of age may experience weight loss at a greater rate than younger adults [65,66].”
From Comparison of concurrent, resistance, or aerobic training on body fat loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) · cites this paper as [66]
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- Authors
- Svetkey, L. P., Clark, J. M., Funk, K., Corsino, L., Batch, B. C., Hollis, J. F., Appel, L. J., Brantley, P. J., Loria, C. M., Champagne, C. M., Vollmer, W. M., & Stevens, V. J.
- Affiliations
- Duke University (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Kaiser Permanente (US)
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Svetkey, Laura P.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Obesity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-07-29
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 39-44
- ISSN
- 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-739X
- PMC
- PMC3849225
- OpenAlex
- W1537061840
- Cited by
- 53
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 3.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U01HL068790, 5U01 HL 68790, 5-U01 HL68920, 5-HL68955, U01HL068920, 5-U01 HL68676, U01HL068955, 5-U01 HL68734, U01HL068734, U01HL068676)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
- Keywords
- weight loss maintenance, age differences, older adults, overweight, behavioral weight loss, online intervention, individual counseling, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular risk factors
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Feeding Behavior, Humans, Hypertension, Middle Aged, Motor Activity, Obesity, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Weight Loss, Body Mass Index, Dyslipidemias, Overweight, Weight Reduction Programs
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