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Objective This study aimed to characterize young adults who experienced significant weight gains (> 10%) over 3 years in a weight gain prevention program. Methods Secondary data analysis from the Study of Novel Approaches to Weight Gain Prevention (SNAP), a randomized trial comparing two self-regulation interventions and a control arm in young adults (18-35 years; BMI 21-30.9 kg/m2 ), was used. Large Gainers (≥ 10% of their body weight; n = 48), Small Gainers (2.6%-9.9%; n = 149), and Weight Stable participants (± 2.5%; n = 143) were compared on dimensions affecting weight gain. Results Differences in weight gain among the three groups were significant by year 1 and subsequently increased. Those who became Large Gainers were heavier at baseline and further below their highest weight, and they reported more weight cycling than Weight Stable, with Small Gainers intermediate. Neither study arm nor pregnancy explained weight change differences among the three groups. Large Gainers reported more depressive symptoms than Weight Stable at years 1 and 2. Large Gainers were less likely to weigh themselves at least weekly at 4 months, before differences in weight gain emerged, and at years 1 and 2. Conclusions Large Gainers (representing almost 10% of participants) could be identified early by greater weight issues at baseline and lower use of weight gain prevention strategies.

OBJECTIVE The study objective was to determine whether two self-regulation interventions that reduced 3-year weight gain in young adults remain effective at 6 years. METHODS A randomized trial was conducted in two academic settings in 599 young adults, aged 18 to 35 years, with normal weight or overweight; 504 (84%) reconsented for a 6-year extension (Study of Novel Approaches to Weight Gain Prevention-Extended [SNAP-E]) with ongoing intervention and assessments. Weight gain over 6 years was compared for all assigned to Control, Large Changes (LC; lose 5-10 pounds initially), and Small Changes (SC; make small daily changes in intake and activity). RESULTS Weight change from baseline to 6 years did not differ significantly among the three groups (Control = 3.9 kg, SC = 4.1 kg, and LC = 2.8 kg). However, there was a significant age-by-treatment interaction (P = 0.002). Among those

Frequent self-weighing (daily or weekly) is consistently linked with weight management success but concerns persist about its potential association with unhealthy weight control practices. Although a number of studies have found evidence that frequent self-weighing is associated with better initial weight loss and prevention of weight gain or regain with no deleterious effects,(1–6) its use as a weight management strategy particularly among young adults is still viewed with caution. Whether this caution is justified is an important question that has not been adequately addressed. Concerns about frequent self-weighing have been primarily raised by those who study normal weight adolescents. Project EAT (7) followed a cohort of middle school and high school students and found that females who reported frequent weighing at baseline, compared to those who did not, were more likely to report binge eating and unhealthy weight control behaviors 5 years later. Frequent self-weighing has also been associated with depression and body dissatisfaction in studies with college age or young adults. (8–10) Conversely, studies of successful weight losers suggest that frequent self-weighing is part of a constellation of healthy weight control behaviors.(11) The National Weight Control Registry, a study of adults who have lost an average of 70 lb and kept it off 6 years, has identified frequent self-weighing as one of the key behaviors associated with initial weight loss success and long-term weight loss maintenance.(12, 13) Other behaviors in this constellation include consuming a low calorie, low fat diet, maintaining high levels of physical activity, regular consumption of breakfast, and exerting conscious control to maintain body weight. (14) Similarly, in adolescents who were successful at weight loss, Alm, et al. (15) found that frequent self-weighers (weekly or more often) reported using more healthy behavioral strategies, including decreasing calories, high fat foods, and junk foods and engaged in more strenuous activity and less video game play than those who weighed less often; they were not more prone to engage in unhealthy weight control behaviors.(16) To date, little has been published on the frequency of self-weighing in young adults age 18–35 and it is unclear whether frequent self-weighing is part of a constellation of healthy weight control behaviors or a potential marker of other unhealthy and disordered habits. The young adult population is of interest because they are at risk of major weight gain and the behaviors established during this critical developmental period are likely to persist into later adulthood. (17) We therefore determined the self-reported frequency of self-weighing in a cohort of almost 600 young adults at entry into a weight gain prevention study and examined the association of frequent self-weighing with a constellation of both healthy and unhealthy weight control behaviors.