Cited by 196Eating Disorders and BehaviorsObesity, Physical Activity, DietObesity and Health Practices

Self-weighing in weight management: A systematic literature review

Open access
Zheng, Yaguang, Klem, Mary Lou, Sereika, Susan M., Danford, Cynthia A., Ewing, Linda J., Burke, Lora E.·2015·Obesity

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Regular self-weighing, which in this article is defined as weighing oneself regularly over a period of time (e.g., daily, weekly), is recommended as a weight loss strategy. However, the published literature lacks a review of the recent evidence provided by prospective, longitudinal studies. Moreover, no paper has reviewed the psychological effects of self-weighing. Therefore, the objective is to review the literature related to longitudinal associations between self-weighing and weight change as well as the psychological outcomes. METHODS: Electronic literature searches in PubMed, Ovid PsycINFO, and Ebscohost CINAHL were conducted. Keywords included overweight, obesity, self-weighing, etc. Inclusion criteria included trials that were published in the past 25 years in English; participants were adults seeking weight loss treatment; results were based on longitudinal data. RESULTS: The results (N=17 studies) revealed that regular self-weighing was associated with more weight loss and not with adverse psychological outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety). Findings demonstrated that the effect sizes of association between self-weighing and weight change varied across studies and also that the reported frequency of self-weighing varied across studies. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from prospective, longitudinal studies provide evidence that regular self-weighing has been associated with weight loss and not with negative psychological outcomes.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/oby.20946

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Authors
Zheng, Y., Klem, M. L., Sereika, S. M., Danford, C. A., Ewing, L. J., & Burke, L. E.
Affiliations
University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author
Zheng, Yaguang
Venue
Obesity
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2014-12-17
Volume
23
Issue
2
Pages
256-265
ISSN
1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2109013496
Cited by
196
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 3
FWCI
2.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Obesity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
Keywords
self-weighing, weight management, weight loss, overweight, psychological outcomes, depression, anxiety, weight change, self-monitoring
MeSH terms
Adult, Anxiety, Body Weight, Depression, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Self Care, Time Factors, Weight Loss, Incidence, Disease Management, Overweight, Weight Reduction Programs

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