The impact of continued intervention on weight: five-year results from the weight loss maintenance trial
Open accessAbstract
Objective: In the Weight Loss Maintenance (WLM) Trial, a personal contact (PC) intervention sustained greater weight loss relative to a self‐directed (SD) group over 30 months. This study investigated the effects of continued intervention over an additional 30 months and overall weight change across the entire WLM Trial. Methods: WLM had 3 phases. Phase 1 was a 6‐month weight loss program. In Phase 2, those who lost ≥4 kg were randomized to a 30‐month maintenance trial. In Phase 3, PC participants (n = 196, three sites) were re‐randomized to no further intervention (PC‐Control) or continued intervention (PC‐Active) for 30 more months; 218 SD participants were also followed. Results: During Phase 3, weight increased 1.0 kg in PC‐Active and 0.5 kg in PC‐Control (mean difference 0.6 kg; 95% CI:−1.4 to 2.7; P = 0.54). Mean weight change over the entire study was −3.2 kg in those originally assigned to PC (PC‐Combined) and −1.6 kg in SD (mean difference −1.6 kg; 95% CI:−3.0 to −0.1; P = 0.04). Conclusions: After 30 months of the PC maintenance intervention, continuation for another 30 months provided no additional benefit. However, across the entire study, weight loss was slightly greater in those originally assigned to PC.
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The Weight Loss Maintenance trial used structured group meetings and telephone coaching focused on relapse prevention and problem-solving, reducing weight regain by roughly one-third compared with minimal follow-up.
“The Weight Loss Maintenance trial used structured group meetings and telephone coaching focused on relapse prevention and problem-solving, reducing weight regain by roughly one-third compared with minimal follow-up.”
From Weight maintenance after discontinuation of GLP-1 therapies (2026) · cites this paper as [52]
The Methods describe group-based sessions, telephone contacts, and a maintenance intervention emphasizing relapse prevention and problem-solving. The Results report less weight regain with personal contact than with self-directed follow-up, but do not establish the claimed roughly one-third reduction; the Discussion also says extending counseling for another 30 months provided no significant additional benefit. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredLifestyle modification remains a central component of weight management, but its effectiveness for sustaining clinically meaningful weight loss, particularly in the absence of continued pharmacotherapy, is limited.
“Lifestyle modification remains a central component of weight management but its effectiveness for sustaining clinically meaningful weight loss, particularly in the absence of continued pharmacotherapy, is limited.”
From Weight maintenance after discontinuation of GLP-1 therapies (2026) · cites this paper as [52]
The Introduction describes sustaining weight loss as a challenge, and the Discussion reports that continued behavioral intervention produced modest benefits at best: 37% in the continued-intervention group maintained at least 5% weight loss at five years, versus 27% in the comparison group. The paper does not test whether stopping or continuing pharmacotherapy changes those outcomes, so the pharmacotherapy qualifier is not supported. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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- Authors
- Coughlin, J. W., Brantley, P. J., Champagne, C. M., Vollmer, W. M., Stevens, V. J., Funk, K., Dalcin, A. T., Jerome, G. J., Myers, V. H., Tyson, C., Batch, B. C., Charleston, J., Loria, C. M., Bauck, A., Hollis, J. F., Svetkey, L. P., Appel, L. J., & the Weight Loss Maintenance Collaborative Research Group
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
- Kaiser Permanente (US)
- Klein Buendel (United States) (US)
- Duke University (US)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Coughlin, Janelle W.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Obesity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2016-03-15
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1046-1053
- ISSN
- 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-739X
- PMC
- PMC4896740
- OpenAlex
- W2302359284
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 2.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Civil War Book Review (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U01HL068790, U01HL068920, U01HL068955, U01HL068734, RC1HL099437, U01HL068676)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30DK072488)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment
- Keywords
- weight loss maintenance, weight regain, long-term weight change
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Behavior Therapy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Weight Loss, Body Mass Index, Weight Reduction Programs
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