ResearchQualitative ResearchSimilarities and Differences between Weight Loss Maintainers and Regainers: A Qualitative Analysis
Section snippets
Study Design
Six focus groups were conducted. The guided but flexible small group discussion was chosen to encourage participants to interact with each other (20). There were four groups of regainers (n=4, 6, 2, and 7) and two of maintainers (n=4 and 6). Characteristics for the participants (n=29), by group, are described in Table 1. In this sample, the maintainers were more likely to be women and African American, weighed less at the time of the focus group, and achieved more weight loss, although the
Identifying Themes
Collectively, the reviewers identified a total of 1,490 weight loss maintenance-related comments from the transcripts, which were grouped into 420 codes. The master code list included 72 codes, which were collapsed into 8 themes and 24 quotes were selected to represent these themes. Four themes highlighted similarities between regainers and maintainers, and four highlighted differences between the groups (Table 2 and Figure).
Similarities
There were several reported similarities between the maintainers and
Discussion
This study revealed that people share similar experiences during weight loss maintenance, regardless of whether or not they maintain their weight loss, and are comparable with other qualitative findings, where a desire for support and setbacks or weight regain were common among both maintainers and regainers (17, 18, 19). The diminished lack of support over time is unfortunate but predictable. Losing weight and maintaining weight loss are two different processes (25). One process is time
Conclusions
These data provide insights into the characteristics of those who are successful and unsuccessful at maintaining weight loss. Additional research, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, should focus on both the “what” and “how” of weight loss maintenance. Without such information, weight loss followed by weight regain is likely to remain the norm.
N.R. Reyes is a senior health services coordinator, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
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Cited by (0)
N.R. Reyes is a senior health services coordinator, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
A. A. Klotz is a research analyst, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
S. S. Vander Veur is program director for Clinical Research, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
T. L. Oliver is director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics and an assistant professor, Immaculata University, Immaculata, PA. At the time of the study, T. L. Oliver was senior health services coordinators, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
A. Virus is a manager, Administration and Support Services Division of Food Services, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. At the time of the study, A. Virus was senior health services coordinators, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
C. A. LaGrotte is a doctoral student in clinical psychology, LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA; at the time of the study, she was a clinical research coordinator, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
B. A. Bailer is a postdoctoral research fellow, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; at the time of the study, she was a psychology intern, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
G. D. Foster is director, Center for Obesity Research and Education, and a professor, Departments of Medicine and Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This research project was funded by a private and anonymous donor, without influence over the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, and without commercial interest in the outcome of the project.