Successful Weight Loss in a Self-Taught, Self-Administered Program
Abstract
There is little evidence concerning the effectiveness of self-help materials for weight control. The purpose of this research was to evaluate a self-help weight-loss program. Obese (body fat > or = 25.0%, range = 25.0-48.6%, mean +/- SEM = 36.5 +/- 1.3%) men (n = 14) and women (n = 21) were given a workbook detailing a behavior modification approach to weight loss that emphasizes self-monitoring of diet and exercise behaviors, and then sent home for 6 months to learn how to lose weight on their own. A group of 9 controls (CONT) who did not get a workbook were used for comparison. ANOVA showed that the experimental group (EXP) lost 8.1 +/- 0.9 (mean +/- SEM) kg body weight, 6.4 +/- 0.8 kg fat, and 3.9 +/- 0.6% body fat; all significant over time (p < 0.001) and different from the CONT (p < 0.0001) who showed no change in these variables. The EXP also reduced their fat intake (% of joules) from 36.1 +/- 1.0% to 27.9 +/- 1.3% (p < 0.0001), increased their carbohydrate intake from 45.7 +/- 1.2% to 50.0 +/- 1.7% (p < 0.007) and their protein intake from 16.3 +/- 0.05% to 20.7 +/- 0.7% (0 < 0.03), all of which were significantly different (p < 0.03) than the CONT who did not change. Dietary fiber increased in the EXP from 19.8 +/- 1.4 to 27.3 +/- 2.2 g/d (p < 0.001) even with a significant reduction in energy intake (11.3 +/- 0.6 vs. 8.9 +/- 0.5 Mj/d; p < 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Long-term (12-month) reductions in weight and waist circumference in the experimental group were equal to or greater than those previously reported from minimal-contact or minimal-advice programmes and from more labour-intensive Internet-based programmes.
“Long-term (12-month) reductions in weight and waist circumference in the experimental group were equal to or greater than those previously reported from minimalcontact or minimal-advice programmes (15-19) and from more labour-intensive Internet-based programmes (1,3-7) .”
From Weight loss by mobile phone: a 1-year effectiveness study (2009) · cites this paper as [16]
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- Authors
- Miller, W., Eggert, K., Wallace, J., Lindeman, A., & Jastremski, C.
- Affiliations
- Indiana University Bloomington (US)
- Venue
- International Journal of Sports Medicine
- Publisher
- Georg Thieme Verlag KG
- Published
- 1993-10
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 07
- Pages
- 401-405
- ISSN
- 0172-4622 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-3964
- OpenAlex
- W2066476921
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 1.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Sports Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Keywords
- weight loss, self-help programs, obesity, behavior modification, self-monitoring, diet, physical activity, fat mass, dietary fiber, energy intake, macronutrient intake, workbook
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Behavior Therapy, Body Composition, Body Weight, Energy Intake, Diet, Exercise Therapy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Patient Education as Topic, Self Care, Time Factors, Weight Loss
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