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Background: Regulatory focus theory proposes two self-regulatory systems: promotion focus—related to fulfilling aspirations and maximizing positive outcomes—and prevention focus—related to fulfilling responsibilities and avoiding negative outcomes. Building on research demonstrating associations between regulatory focus and weight outcomes, a proof-of-concept weight control intervention framed intervention procedures in terms of promotion or prevention focus and descriptively examined whether the impact of the intervention conditions depended on dispositional regulatory focus. Methods: After random assignment to control (received pamphlet on diet and physical activity), promotion, or prevention conditions (1.5-hour baseline sessions; detailed manuals; 1-hour sessions at 3 months), community participants from a metropolitan area in the United States (N = 57; age M = 40; BMI M = 30.9) completed the Regulatory Focus Questionnaire and were weighed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Longitudinal analysis was conducted with SAS Proc Mixed using restricted maximum likelihood estimation. Results: Estimated weight change was -2.99 kg, 95% CI [-4.65, -1.32], in the promotion condition, -1.70 kg, 95% CI [-3.29, -0.12], in the prevention condition, and -0.18 kg, 95% CI [-1.42, 1.05], in the control condition. Exploratory analyses revealed that for relatively more promotion-focused participants, estimated weight change was -1.43 kg, 95% CI [-3.38, 0.51], in the promotion condition, +0.48 kg, 95% CI [-1.01, 1.97], in the prevention condition, and -1.09 kg, 95% CI [-2.32, 0.14], in the control condition. For relatively more prevention-focused participants, estimated weight change was -5.19 kg, 95% CI [-7.14, -3.25], in the promotion condition, -3.35 kg, 95% CI [-4.83, -1.86], in the prevention condition, and +0.42 kg, 95% CI [-0.81, 1.65], in the control condition. Conclusions: Results suggest that self-directed, promotion-focused interventions may be effective and that tailoring to self-regulatory dispositions may not be of additional benefit in initiating weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This analysis helps clarify the individual and joint effects of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in concert with significant life events (eg, divorce, marriage, job change or loss, pregnancy, etc) on weight following a behavioral weight loss intervention. Methods: Data from the Tracking Study weight loss trial were utilized to perform a 4-way decomposition of moderation and mediation of life events (≥ 1 vs 0) and MVPA (low <2500 kcal vs high ≥ 2500 kcal) on 24-month weight. Results: The total effect of life events and MVPA on weight was estimated to be 1.63 kg (95% confidence interval = 0.30 to 2.96; P =.02). The controlled direct effect of life events on 24-month weight suggested that experiencing at least one life event controlling for MVPA was associated with an increase of 2.31 kg (95% confidence interval = 0.29 to 4.33) at 24 months. Other interaction and mediation estimates were not statistically significant. Conclusions: This analysis offers new potential for examining health behaviors that may act as both mediators and effect modifiers of health. Although more work is needed to understand the interaction of life events and MVPA on weight loss maintenance, findings help rule out mediation. Life events and MVPA should be considered for their unique effects on weight loss maintenance in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although physical activity (PA) among adults is associated with health benefits, only one-third of young adults meet PA recommendations. Examining if the type of PA has an impact on individuals' psychological responses may impact future interventions and PA rates among young adults. Aims: This study examined affective and other psychological responses to a class of high intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate intensity continuous training (MICT). Methods: Participants (n = 41) were active 18-25-year-old college students randomized to participate in HIIT or MICT. HIIT was higher intensity and included more breaks from PA relative to MICT. Both classes were 30-minutes that included a warm-up and cool down. Psychological factors included affect, enjoyment, and exercise-feeling. Results and Conclusions: Participants in the HIIT condition reported lower positive affect and higher physical exhaustion during PA than the MICT condition. However, there was no effect of group assignment on enjoyment, tranquility, positive engagement, and revitalization. This study provides some evidence that HIIT may result in lower levels of positive affect and more exhaustion during PA; however, HIIT does not appear to impact enjoyment. Future studies should examine affect in HIIT relative to MICT through the lens of dual-mode theory over a multi-week intervention. Additionally, HIIT is often discussed as requiring less time relative to traditional workouts while experiencing similar positive health benefits, so future studies should examine affect during HIIT vs. MICT in shorter classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rural children are at greater obesity risk than their urban peers. The NU-HOME study is an innovative collaborative effort to prevent childhood obesity in rural communities. Weight outcomes of the NU-HOME study, a family-meal focused randomized controlled trial (RCT) are described. We hypothesized that compared to control group children, intervention group children would have significantly lower weight-related post-intervention (PI) outcomes. Methods: Participants were 114 dyads (7–10 year-old rural children and a parent). In 2017–2018 and 2018–2019, research staff measured height, weight and body fat at baseline (BL) and PI. Families were randomized to intervention (n = 58) or control (n = 56) groups without blinding. Designed with Social Cognitive Theory and community engagement, the NU-HOME program included seven monthly sessions delivered in community settings and four goal-setting calls. The program engaged entire families to improve healthy eating, physical activity, family meals and the home food environment. Multiple linear and logistic regression models tested PI outcomes of child BMIz-score, percent body fat, percent over 50th percentile BMI, and overweight/obesity status by treatment group, adjusted for BL values and demographics (n = 102). Results: No statistically significant intervention effects were seen for child BMIz or overweight/obesity status. However, a promising reduction in boys' percent body fat (− 2.1, 95% CI [− 4.84, 0.63]) was associated with the intervention. Conclusions: Although our findings were in the hypothesized direction, making significant impacts on weight-related outcomes remains challenging in community trials. Comprehensive family-focused programming may require intensive multi-pronged interventions to mitigate complex factors associated with excess weight gain. Clinical trial registration: This study is registered with NIH ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02973815. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Reviewing gaps in self-monitoring during weight loss interventions may help identify individuals demonstrating signs of disengagement in behaviors, including moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), associated with weight loss maintenance. This study examined the associations of different aspects of self-monitoring during a weight loss intervention with 24-month MVPA and weight. Methods: Secondary data analysis from the Tracking Study, a trial comparing weight-tracking frequency during a lifestyle weight loss program, was conducted. Self-monitoring logs from n =339 participants were used to define 4 characteristics and 4 specific gap lengths: short (1-4 weeks), medium (5-8 weeks), long (9-12 weeks), and extra long (>12 weeks). Self-reported MVPA and staff-measured weight were measured at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Generalized estimating equation modeling examined the association between self-monitoring characteristics and reported MVPA and weight. Results: Participants with gaps in self-monitoring as early as the second week of the intervention reported less MVPA and weighed more at 24 months. Furthermore, consistent tracking of MVPA was associated with higher reported MVPA and lower weight. Conclusions: Behavior tracking provides important information about behavioral disengagement early in the intervention process. Future work should test intervention augmentations to improve behavior change when disengagement is detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study is a secondary data analysis that examines the association between parent modelling of dietary intake and physical activity and the same child behaviours among different races/ethnicities using innovative, rigorous and objective measures.Design: Ecological momentary assessment surveys were sent to parents to assess whether their child had seen them exercise or consume food. Dietary recall data and accelerometry were used to determine dietary intake and physical activity behaviours of children.Setting: Participants were randomly selected from primary care clinics, serving low-income and racially/ethnically diverse families in Minnesota, USA.Participants: Participants were families with children aged 5-7 years old who lived with parents 50 % of the time and shared at least one meal together.Results: A 10 percentage point higher prevalence in parent modelling of fruit and vegetable intake was associated with 0·12 higher serving intake of those same foods in children. The prevalence of parent modelling of eating energy dense foods (10 % prevalence units) was associated with 0·09 higher serving intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. Furthermore, accelerometry-measured parent sedentary hours was strongly correlated with child sedentary time (0·37 child sedentary hours per parent sedentary hours). An exploratory interaction analysis did not reveal any statistical evidence that these relationships depended on the child's race/ethnic background.Conclusions: Interventions that increase parent modelling of healthy eating and minimise modelling of energy dense foods may have favourable effects on child dietary quality. Additionally, future research is needed to clarify the associations of parent modelling of physical activity and children's physical activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some evidence suggests that physical activity programs mainly attract employees who are already active. This study examined the degree to which baseline physical activity was associated with enrollment in worksite walking clubs. Methods: All variables were measured at baseline. Walking club participation was measured over 2 years. There were 642 individuals from 3 worksites with complete data available for logistic regression analyses. Results: Baseline physical activity [OR (95% CI) = 1.00 (0.99, 1.01)] was not a significant predictor of walking club participation. Participants who were older [OR = 1.03 (1.01, 1.04)] or indicated more social support for physical activity [OR = 1.13 (1.02, 1.25)] had significantly higher odds of participation relative to those who were younger or indicated less social support, respectively. In addition, men [OR = -0.25 (0.18, 0.36)] and employees from the second worksite [OR = -0.41 (0.25, 0.67)] had significantly lower odds of participation relative to women and employees from the first or third worksites, respectively. Sensitivity analyses arrived at similar conclusions. Conclusions: Worksite walking clubs were appealing across varying levels of physical activity. Future research should improve marketing and program design to engage harder-to-reach segments of the workforce, particularly young men and those with limited social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Self-weighing is an important component of self-monitoring during weight loss. However, methods of measuring self-weighing frequency need to be validated. This analysis compared self-reported and objective weighing frequency.Methods: Data came from a 24-month randomized controlled trial. Participants received 12 months of a behavioral weight-loss program and were randomly assigned to (1) daily self-weighing, (2) weekly weighing, or (3) no weighing (excluded from analysis). Objective weighing frequency was measured by Wi-Fi enabled scales, and self-reported weighing frequency was assessed every 6 months by questionnaire. Objective weights were categorized to match the scale of the self-report measure.Results: At 12 months, there was 80.8% agreement between self-reported and objective weighing frequency (weighted kappa = 0.67; P < 0.001). At 24 months, agreement decreased to 48.5% (kappa = 0.27; P < 0.001). At both time points in which disagreements occurred, self-reported frequencies were generally greater than objectively assessed weighing. Both self-reported and objectively assessed weighing frequency was associated with weight loss at 12 and 24 months (P < 0.001).Conclusions: Self-reported weighing frequency is modestly correlated with objective weighing frequency; however, both are associated with weight change over time. Objective assessment of weighing frequency should be used to avoid overestimating actual frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous research has demonstrated that television has the potential to influence youth behaviors, but little evidence exists on how television depicts physical activity (PA), an important public health priority for youth. This mixed-methods study investigated depictions of television characters' participation in PA in the top 25 favorite shows ranked by a diverse sample of 2,793 adolescents.Method: Randomly selected episodes from each show were content-analyzed for PA incidents, reasons, and context and in relation to the gender and weight status of participating characters.Results: A total of 374 incidents of PA were coded across 75 episodes, with an average of 5.0 incidents per episode. Although male and female characters were equally likely to engage in at least 1 incident of PA, male characters were involved in a statistically significantly larger proportion of PA incidents than were female characters, and they were more likely to engage in PA for competitive sport. There was no statistically significant difference in engagement in PA or the proportion of PA incidents for characters coded as overweight compared with nonoverweight characters.Conclusions: Although female characters tended to be underrepresented in PA, this study reveals positive messages for how gender and weight are portrayed in relation to PA on TV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective was to conduct a process evaluation of the CHOICES (Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings) study, a large, randomized, controlled trial designed to prevent unhealthy weight gain in young adults (aged 18-35) attending 2-year community colleges in the USA. The 24-month intervention consisted of participation in an academic course and a social networking and support website. Among intervention participants, completion rates for most course activities were >80%, reflecting a high level of dose received. Course retention and participant satisfaction were also high. Engagement results, however, were mixed with less than half of participants in the online and hybrid sections of the course reporting that they interacted with course materials ≥3 h/week, but 50-75% reporting that they completed required lessons 'all/very thoroughly'. Engagement in the website activities was also mixed with more than half of intervention participants logging onto the website during the first month, but then declining to 25-40% during the following 23 months of the intervention. Intervention engagement is a challenge of online interventions and a challenge of working with the young adult age group in general. Additional research is needed to explore strategies to support engagement among this population, particularly for relatively long intervention durations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both obesity and depression have been associated with significant increases in health care costs. Previous research has not examined whether cost increases associated with obesity could be explained by confounding effects of depression.Objective: Examine whether the association between obesity and health care costs is explained by co-occurring depression.Design: Cross-sectional study including telephone survey and linkage to health plan records.Participants: 4462 women aged 40 to 65 enrolled in prepaid health plan in the Pacific Northwest.Main Measures: The telephone survey included self-report of height and weight and measurement of depression by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9). Survey data were linked to health plan cost accounting records.Key Results: Compared to women with BMI less than 25, proportional increases in health care costs were 65% (95% CI 41% to 93%) for women with BMI 30 to 35 and 157% (95% CI 91% to 246%) for women with BMI of 35 or more. Adjustment for co-occurring symptoms of depression reduced these proportional differences to 40% (95% CI 18% to 66%) and 87% (95% CI 42% to 147%), respectively. Cost increases associated with obesity were spread across all major categories of health services (primary care visits, outpatient prescriptions, inpatient medical services, and specialty mental health care).Conclusions: Among middle-aged women, both obesity and depression are independently associated with substantially higher health care costs. These cost increases are spread across the full range of outpatient and inpatient health services. Given the high prevalence of obesity, cost increases of this magnitude have major policy and public health importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the frequency of self-weighing and reactions to prescribed weekly weighing among individuals with eating disorder (ED) diagnoses, and to compare individuals weighing more or less frequently on mass index (BMI) and the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) subscales. Method Baseline EDE and demographics from five studies ( N = 758). Results Self-weighing was most frequent among individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), followed by those with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). On average, participants reacted moderately negative to prescribed weekly weighing. No relationship between weighing frequency and BMI was evident in any sample. There was indication of greater pathology (i.e., restraint, shape concern, weight concern, global) in AN with more frequent weighing. In BN, mixed evidence emerged to support a relationship between more frequent weighing and higher shape concern, weight concern, and global score. In BED, higher restraint was found in those who weighed versus those who did not. Discussion Weighing frequency in each eating disorder (ED) sample was to some extent associated with greater ED severity, but not BMI. Future research should examine relationships between self-weighing, reactions to changing weighing frequency, and ED symptomatology in both ED and non-ED groups to understand the impact of self-weighing in heterogeneous populations. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:817-821) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Young adults are at risk of weight gain, but little is known about designing effective weight control trials for young adults or how to recruit and retain participants in these programs. The Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings (CHOICES) study evaluated the effectiveness of a weight gain prevention intervention for 2-year college students. We describe the methods used to recruit and retain the colleges and their students, describe the sample and discuss recommendations for future studies. Methods: Students were recruited into a 24-month trial of a weight control intervention with assessment periods at baseline, 4-, 12- and 24-month follow-up. Results: We successfully recruited 441 students through partnerships with three 2-year colleges through a variety of campus-based methods. Ultimately, 83.4% of the randomized cohort participated in the 24-month assessment period. Those retained more often were White (p = 0.03) compared to those who dropped out or were lost to follow-up; no other socio-demographic factor (e.g. gender, ethnicity and education), body mass index, body fat, waist circumference or weight status was observed to differ between randomly assigned groups. Conclusion: Two-year colleges and their students are interested in participating in weight-related trials and partnering with universities for research. Researchers must work closely with administrators to identify benefits to their institutions and to resolve student-level barriers to recruitment and retention. Our experiences from the Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings study should be useful in identifying effective recruitment and retention methods for weight gain prevention trials among young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives and Participants: The purpose of this article is to describe weight indicators and weight-related behaviors of students enrolled in 2-year colleges, including sex differences.Methods: During Fall 2011 and Spring 2012, 441 students from 3 Minnesota community colleges enrolled in the Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings (CHOICES) Study and completed baseline assessments. Participants completed a baseline survey evaluating eating and activity patterns, sleep, and stress and measures of height, weight, waist circumference, and body fat.Results: Participants were primarily female (68%), white (73%), with a mean age of 22.8 years, and 66.2% reporting an annual income < $12,000. Almost half (47%) were overweight or obese. Young males appeared to engage the most in risky health behaviors and had higher levels of overweight or obesity, compared with young females.Conclusions: Findings confirm the need for innovative interventions targeting this understudied and underserved young adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Young adults are at risk for weight gain in the transition to independent adulthood; 2-year college students are at greater risk and understudied relative to 4-year students. This project conducted formative research for a randomized controlled weight gain prevention trial among 2-year college students, to ensure appropriateness of content and delivery of a curriculum originally developed for 4-year college students. Data were collected from community college students, faculty, and staff from October 2009 to August 2011. Work included focus groups and key informant interviews, curriculum pilot testing, and social network and support website beta testing. Based on focus groups and interviews, program content, course delivery modes, and communication channels were adjusted to meet population interests and preferences. The course was delivered successfully in pilot testing, and the website was received well by beta testers. Formative work successfully guided program adaptations to address population needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental modifications have been shown to increase short-term stair use, longer-term success is unclear. This study assessed the 2-year effectiveness of an environmental intervention promoting worksite stair use. We assessed stair use at work by means of self-reports and infrared beam counters (which send a safe and invisible beam of infrared light from one side of a stairwell to a reflector on the other side; when an individual uses the stairs, the infrared beam is disrupted and an instance of stair use is recorded) at six worksites (three intervention, three control) in a group randomized, controlled worksite weight-gain prevention trial in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. Intervention modifications were signs encouraging stair use, music, and art posters in stairwells. We collected data before environmental modifications (2006–2007) and at the end of the 2-year intervention (2008–2009). The intervention had a significant positive effect on stair use measured both objectively and via self-report, with greatest increases reported among those participants who used the stairs least at baseline. Following 2-years of continuously-maintained stairwell modifications, increases in both objectively-measured and self-reported stair use were significantly larger at intervention than control worksites. Study findings suggest that the positive impact of environmental modifications on stair use persist over a longer time period than has been previously demonstrated. Results also indicate that infrequent stair users may be most amenable to the behavior changes encouraged by these environmental enhancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality–Youth Version (SNAP-Y) is a new, reliable self-report questionnaire that assesses 15 personality traits relevant to both normal-range personality and the alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorder. Community adolescents, 12 to 18 years old (N = 364), completed the SNAP-Y; 347 also completed the Big Five Inventory–Adolescent, 144 provided 2-week retest data, and 128 others completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent. Outpatient adolescents (N = 103) completed the SNAP-Y, and 97 also completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–Adolescent. The SNAP-Y demonstrated strong psychometric properties, and structural, convergent, discriminant, and external validities. Consistent with the continuity of personality, results paralleled those in adult and college samples using the adult Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality–Second Edition (SNAP-2), from which the SNAP-Y derives and which has established validity in personality–trait assessment across the normal–abnormal continuum. The SNAP-Y thus provides a new, clinically useful instrument to assess personality traits and personality pathology in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Little is known about the association between self-weighing frequency and weight gain prevention, particularly in worksite populations. Purpose: The degree to which self-weighing frequency predicted 2-year body weight change in working adults was examined. Method: The association between self-weighing frequency (monthly or less, weekly, daily, or more) and 24-month weight change was analyzed in a prospective cohort analysis ( n = 1,222) as part of the larger HealthWorks trial. Results: There was a significant interaction between follow-up self-weighing frequency and baseline body mass index. The difference in weight change ranged from −4.4 ± 0.8 kg weight loss among obese daily self-weighers to 2.1 ± 0.4 kg weight gain for participants at a healthy weight who reported monthly self-weighing. Conclusion: More frequent self-weighing seemed to be most beneficial for obese individuals. These findings may aid in the refinement of self-weighing frequency recommendations used in the context of weight management interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is associated with clinical depression among women. However, depressed women are often excluded from weight loss trials. Purpose: This study examined treatment outcomes among women with comorbid obesity and depression. Methods: Two hundred three (203) women were randomized to behavioral weight loss ( n = 102) or behavioral weight loss combined with cognitive-behavioral depression management ( n = 101). Results: Average participant age was 52 years; mean baseline body mass index was 39 kg/m. Mean Patient Health Questionnaire and Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-20) scores indicated moderate to severe baseline depression. Weight loss and SCL-20 changes did not differ between groups at 6 or 12 months in intent-to-treat analyses ( p = 0.26 and 0.55 for weight, p = 0.70 and 0.25 for depressive symptoms). Conclusions: Depressed obese women lost weight and demonstrated improved mood in both treatment programs. Future weight loss trials are encouraged to enroll depressed women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the celebration of gay love which is called gayla. It says that gayla gives gay couples the chance to write their own vows replacing the unrealistic promises with promises that cannot be broken. It mentions that in the gayla celebration, no vow is spoken and no contract. It also states that the ritual that transforms the gay couple with new responsibilities is the ritual of commitment.

Background: The study examined correlates of body mass index (BMI) in overweight and obese members of a managed care organization seeking treatment for obesity. It assessed intake of specific foods, dietary fat or fiber, and behaviors attempted to control weight. Methods: Participants were 508 men and 1293 women who were > 18 years and had a self-reported BMI > 27.0. This paper reports analyses of baseline and 24-month follow-up data from a randomized weight-loss trial. Cross-sectional and prospective relationships between BMI and behaviors were examined with regression analyses controlling for age and education. Results: At baseline, hamburger and beef consumption were associated with higher BMI for men; for women, hamburger, fried chicken, hot dog, bacon or sausage, egg, French fry, and overall fat consumption were associated with higher BMI, while eating high fiber cereal, fruit, and overall fiber intake were associated with lower BMI. Virtually all forms of weight control behavior were reported more often in heavier people. Subscribing to exercise magazines, however, was associated with lower BMI. Decreased fat intake and increased fruit/vegetable/fiber intake over the course of the study were associated with reductions in BMI at 24 months. Conclusion: The same behaviors that differentiate individuals with different body weight in the general population also differentiate between individuals of different body weights at the high end of the weight distribution. Educational efforts aimed at preventing weight gain and reducing obesity might benefit from focusing on specific foods known to be associated empirically with body weight and weight change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many adults in the United States report engaging in weight loss behaviors. The current study examined weight loss strategies among managed care organization members, to determine the prevalence and impact of weight loss behaviors in this population. We hypothesized that greater engagement in weight loss strategies would be associated with greater weight loss success. Methods: Data were taken from Weigh-to-Be (WTB), a two-year weight loss trial (N = 1801, 72% female, mean age = 50.7 years, mean weight = 95.9 kg, mean BMI = 34.2 kg/m²). Every six months, participants completed a questionnaire assessing frequency and duration of weight loss strategies (calorie reduction, fat reduction, increased fruit/vegetable intake, increased exercise, elimination of sweets, consumption of less food). General linear models and structural equation methods were used to examine associations between weight loss strategy use and weight change over time. Results: Weight loss strategy prevalence rates ranged from 68% to 76% over two years. For all dietary strategies, any use of the strategy between baseline and 24 months was associated with weight loss at 24 months; those who did not engage in the strategy showed weight gains during that period. Results of general linear models and structural equation models indicated that increased use of weight loss strategies was significantly associated with greater 24-month weight loss. Conclusion: The prevalence of weight loss strategies in this obese adult managed care population was quite high, and use of these strategies was associated in dose-response fashion with better weight loss. Future interventions may benefit from emphasis on persistence of similar strategies to achieve more successful outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Eating at "fast food" restaurants has increased and is linked to obesity. This study examined whether living or working near "fast food" restaurants is associated with body weight. Methods: A telephone survey of 1033 Minnesota residents assessed body height and weight, frequency of eating at restaurants, and work and home addresses. Proximity of home and work to restaurants was assessed by Global Index System (GIS) methodology. Results: Eating at "fast food" restaurants was positively associated with having children, a high fat diet and Body Mass Index (BMI). It was negatively associated with vegetable consumption and physical activity. Proximity of "fast food" restaurants to home or work was not associated with eating at "fast food" restaurants or with BMI. Proximity of "non-fast food" restaurants was not associated with BMI, but was associated with frequency of eating at those restaurants. Conclusion: Failure to find relationships between proximity to "fast food" restaurants and obesity may be due to methodological weaknesses, e.g. the operational definition of "fast food" or "proximity", or homogeneity of restaurant proximity. Alternatively, the proliferation of "fast food" restaurants may not be a strong unique cause of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although self-monitoring is a central tenet of behavioral approaches to changing health behavior, clinical and public health recommendations for better controlling body weight do not emphasize weight self-monitoring. Purpose: The objective was to determine whether more frequent self-weighing exerts a positive influence on weight loss or weight gain prevention. Methods: This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between self-weighing frequency and weight in two distinct groups: 1,226 adults who were enrolled in a weight gain prevention trial, and 1,800 adults who were enrolled in a weight loss trial. Results: Although the samples differed significantly in weight and baseline demographic characteristics, the distribution of baseline weighing frequencies did not differ by study. In both groups, more frequent self-weighing at baseline was associated with greater age, lower fat intake, White ethnicity, current nonsmoking status, a greater history of dieting to lose weight, and lower current body mass index. Despite similar weighing instructions, differential patterns of weighing frequency over time were observed: Weight loss dieters increased weighing over time regardless of treatment group (control or intervention), whereas weight gain preventers decreased weighing over time in the control group and increased weighing over time in intervention groups. Most important, higher weighing frequency was associated with greater 24month weight loss or less weight gain. Conclusions: Results support the idea that daily weighing is valuable to individuals trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain. Daily self-weighing should be emphasized in clinical and public health messages about weight control. Experimental studies on the effects of weighing frequency in these contexts are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although self-monitoring is a central tenet of behavioral approaches to changing health behavior, clinical and public health recommendations for better controlling body weight do not emphasize weight self-monitoring.Purpose: The objective was to determine whether more frequent self-weighing exerts a positive influence on weight loss or weight gain prevention.Methods: This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between self-weighing frequency and weight in two distinct groups: 1,226 adults who were enrolled in a weight gain prevention trial, and 1,800 adults who were enrolled in a weight loss trial.Results: Although the samples differed significantly in weight and baseline demographic characteristics, the distribution of baseline weighing frequencies did not differ by study. In both groups, more frequent self-weighing at baseline was associated with greater age, lower fat intake, White ethnicity, current nonsmoking status, a greater history of dieting to lose weight, and lower current body mass index. Despite similar weighing instructions, differential patterns of weighing frequency over time were observed: Weight loss dieters increased weighing over time regardless of treatment group (control or intervention), whereas weight gain preventers decreased weighing over time in the control group and increased weighing over time in intervention groups. Most important, higher weighing frequency was associated with greater 24-month weight loss or less weight gain.Conclusions: Results support the idea that daily weighing is valuable to individuals trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain. Daily self-weighing should be emphasized in clinical and public health messages about weight control. Experimental studies on the effects of weighing frequency in these contexts are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which assessed whether differential bias in self-reports of height and weight as a function of depression influences the apparent strength of the association. It tested the hypothesis that is depressed women underreport their weight less than non-depressed women, the true strength of the association between depression and obesity would be overestimated. Findings suggest that bias in self-reports of body weight and height is similar in depressed and non-depressed obese women.

A correction to the article "Self-Weighing Behavior in Individuals with Eating Disorders" that was published in the previous issue is presented.

A correction to the article "Are fast food restaurants an environmental risk factor for obesity?" that was published in the previous issue is presented.