Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Motivational readiness to change in lifestyle modification programs

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Weight management programs still remain a great challenge as drop out rates represent a growing problem. It is essential to try and identify the predictors of success, in order to make a proposal really custom-tailored to the patients. Among the most valuable applications of valid weight loss prediction models is the early identification of individuals with the least estimated probability of success, who should be directed to alternative therapies. Equally important are improvements in the matching between treatments and participants, which are dependent on the measurement of relevant pre-treatment variables. In the treatment of obesity and in many other pathologies and dependencies, the motivation to change has an important role both in the period of the weight loss and in the phase of the maintenance of the result. Therefore, if the patient is considered to be ready to lose weight, weight loss therapy should be initiated, if not, the immediate goal will be to prevent further weight gain and explore barriers to weight reduction. Many papers have been published regarding the measurement of the degree/level of motivation of the patient towards a specific treatment. Unfortunately, most of these questionnaires have been created and then applied to different areas; in particular they have been used before starting specific therapies for addiction. Unfortunately, a validated and easy-to-use questionnaire assessing at the meantime treatment motivation and readiness with adequate predictive capacity for weight loss actually is not available in most languages, so that empiric non-objective methods continue to be used.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  1. Brownell K.D., Kramer M.: Behavioral management of obesity. Med. Clin. North Am., 73, 185–201, 1989.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wadden T.A., Foster G.D.: Behavioral treatment of obesity. Med. Clin. North. Am., 84, 441–461, 2000.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Inelmen E.M., Toffanello E.D., Enzi G., Gasparini G., Miotto F., Sergi G., Busetto L.: Predictors of drop out in overweight and obese outpatients. Int. J. Obes., 29, 122–128, 2005.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cresci B., Tesi F., La Ferlita T., Ricca V., Ravaldi C., Rotella C.M., Mannucci E.: Group versus individual cognitive-behavioral treatment for obesity: results after 36 months. Eat.Weight Disord., 12, 147–153, 2007.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Astrup A., Rossner S.: Lessons from obesity management programs: greater initial weight loss improves long-term maintenance. Obes. Rev., 1, 17–19, 2000.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Knowler W.C., Barrett-Connor E., Fowle S.E., Hamman R.F., Lachin J.M., Walker E.A., Nathan D.M., for the Diabetes Prevention Program Group: Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformine. N. Engl. J. Med., 346, 393–403, 2002.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hamman R.F., Wing R.R., Edelstein S.L., Lachin J.M., Bray G.A., Delahanty L.A., Hoskin M., Kriska A.M., Mayer-Davis E., Pi-Sunyer X., Regensteiner J., Venditti B., Wylie-Rosett J., for the Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group: Effect of weight loss with lifestyle intervention on risk of diabetes. Diabetes Care, 29, 2102–2107, 2006.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. The Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group: The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP): description of lifestyle intervention. Diabetes Care, 25, 2165–2171, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Eddy D.M., Schlessinger L., Khan R.: Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of strategies for managing people at high risk of diabetes. Ann. Int. Med., 143, 251–264, 2005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Avenell A., Broom J., Brown T.J., Poobalan A., Aucott L., Stearns S.C., Smith W.C.S., Jung R.T., Campbell M.K., Grant A.M.: Systematic review of the long-term effects and economic consequences of treatments for obesity and implications for health improvement. Health Technol. Assess., 8, n. 21, iii–iv, 2004.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Brownell K.D., Wadden T.A.: The heterogeneity of obesity: fitting treatments to individuals. Behav. Ther., 22, 153–177, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Weiss A.R.: Characteristics of successful weight reducers: a brief review of predictor variables. Addict. Behav., 2, 193–201, 1977.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wadden T.A., Letizia K.A.: Predictors of attrition and weight loss in patients treated by moderate to severe caloric restriction. In: Wadden T.A., Van-Itallie T.B. (Eds.), Treatment of the seriously obese patient. New York, NY, The Guilford Press, 1992, pp. 383–4104.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Wilson G.T.: Behavioral and psychological predictors of treatment outcome in obesity. In: Allison D.A., Pi- Sunyer F.X. (Eds.), Obesity treatment: establishing goals, improving outcomes, and reviewing the research agenda. New York, Plenum Press, 1995, pp. 183–189.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  15. Cooper Z., Fairburn C.G.: On the other hand, a new cognitive behavioural approach to the treatment of obesity. Behav. Res. Ther., 39, 499–511, 2001.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kraemer H.C., Wilson G.T., Fairburn C.G., Agras W.S.: Mediators and moderators of treatment effects in randomized clinical trials. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 59, 877–883, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Teixeira P.J., Going S.B., Houtkooper L.B., Cussler E.C., Martin C.J., Metcalfe L.L., Finkenthal N.R., Blew R.M., Sardinha L.B., Lohman T.G.: Weight loss readiness in middle-aged women: psychosocial predictors of success for behavioral weight reduction. J. Behav. Med., 25, 499–523, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Teixeira P.J., Going S.B., Sardinha L.B., Lohman T.G.: A review of psychosocial pre-treatment predictors of weight control. Obes. Rev., 6, 43–65, 2005.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Texeira P.J., Palmeira A.L., Branco T.L., Martins S.S., Minderico C.S., Barata J.T., Silva A.M., Sardinha L.B.: Who wil lose weight? A reexamination of predictors of weight loss in women. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act., 1, 12, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative and North American Association for the Study of Obesity. The practical guide. Identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. NIH publication n. 00-4084, October 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Prochaska J.O., Di Clemente C.C.: Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 51, 390–395, 1983.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Derisley J., Reynolds S.: Evaluation of the stages of change scales to measure client readiness for treatment in a mental health sample. Behav. Cogn. Psychother., 30, 217–222, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. McConnaughy B.A., Prochaska J.O., Velicer W.F.: Stages of change in psychotherapy Measurement and sample profiles. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 20, 368–375, 1983.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Geller J., Drab D.L.: The readiness and motivation interview: a symptom-specific measure of readiness for change in the eating disorders. Eur. Eat. Disord. Rev., 7, 259–278, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Miller W.R., Tonigan J.S.: Assessing drinkers’ motivation for change: The Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES). Psychol. Addict. Behav., 10, 81–89, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Spiller V., Zavan V., Guelfi G.P.: Assessing motivation for change in subjects with alcohol problems: the MAC2-A questionnaire. Alcohol Alcohol, 41, 616–623, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Dishman R.K., Ickes W.: Self-motivation and adherence to therapeutic exercise. J. Behav. Med., 4, 421–438, 1981.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Velicer W.F., Di Clemente C.C., Prochaska J.O., Brandenburg N.: Decisional balance measure for assessing and predicting smoking status. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 48, 1279–1289, 1985.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Fava J.L., Rossi J.S., Velicer W.F., Prochaska J.O.: Structural confirmation of short form instruments for the transtheoretical model. Paper presented at the 99th Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ward R.M., Velicer W.F., Rossi J.S., Fava J.L., Prochaska J.O.: Factorial Invariance and Internal Consistency for the Decisional Balance Inventory - Short Form. Addict. Behav., 29, 953–958, 2004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Velicer W.F., DiClemente C.C., Prochaska J.O., Brandenburg N.: Decisional balance measure for assessing and predicting smoking status. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 48, 1279–1289, 1985.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. O’Connell D., Velicer W.F.: A decisional balance measure and the stages of change model for weight loss. Int. J. Addict., 23, 729–750, 1988.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Brownell K.D.: Dieting readiness. Weight Control Dig., 1, 5–10, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Dalle Grave R.: Sono pronto a perdere peso. In: Il peso ragionevole settimana per settimana. Verona, Positive Press, 1997, pp. 25–29.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Fontaine K.R., Cheskin L.J., Allison D.B.: Predicting treatment attendance and weight loss: assessing the psychometric properties and predictive validity of the Dieting Readiness Test. J. Pers. Assess., 68, 173–183, 1997.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, Department of Clinical Pathophisiology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy

    B. Cresci & C. M. Rotella

Authors
  1. B. Cresci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. M. Rotella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. Cresci.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cresci, B., Rotella, C.M. Motivational readiness to change in lifestyle modification programs. Eat Weight Disord 14, e158–e162 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327816

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327816

Key words

Search

Navigation