Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Can anyone successfully control their weight? Findings of a three year community-based study of men and women

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 1107–1110 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence, distribution and correlates of successful weight loss and successful weight maintenance over three years in a community-based sample of 854 subjects aged 20–45 at baseline. More than half (53.7%) of the participants in the study gained weight within the first twelve months, only one in four (24.5%) successfully avoided weight gain over three years, and less than one in twenty (4.6%) lost and maintained weight successfully. The findings underscore the importance of current public health efforts to prevent weight gain, and suggest that without much greater efforts to promote and support weight control the prevalence of obesity will continue to rise.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. World Health Organisation . Prevention and management of the global epidemic of obesity. Report of the WHO consultation on obesity. World Health Organization: Geneva, 1998.

  2. Schachter S . Recividism and self-cure of smoking and obesity. Am Psychol 1982 37: 436–444.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Jeffery RW, Wing RR . Recividism and self-cure of smoking and obesity: data from population studies Am Psychol 1983 38: 852.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Williamson DF, Serdula MK, Anda KF, Levy A, Byers T . Weight loss attempts in adults: goals, duration, and rate of weight loss Am J Public Health 1992 82: 1251–1257.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. French SA, Jeffery RW, Folsom AR, McGovern P, Williamson DF . Weight loss maintenance in young adulthood: prevalence and correlations with health behavior and disease in a population-based sample of women aged 55–69 y Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1996 20: 303–310.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Jeffery RW, French SA . Preventing weight gain in adults: the pound of prevention study Am J Public Health 1999 89: 747–751.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Block G, Hartman AM, Dresser CM, Carroll MD, Gannon J, Gardner L . A data-based approach to diet questionnaire design and testing Am J Epidemiol 1986 124: 453–469.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Jacobs DR, Hahn LP, Pirie P, Sidney S . Validity and reliability of a short physical activity history: CARDIA and the Minnesota Heart Health Program J Cardiopulmonary Rehab 1989 9: 448–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. SAS Institute . SAS language and procedure: usage version 6. SAS Institute: Cary, NC, 1989.

  10. French SA, Jeffery RW . Consequences of dieting to lose weight: effects on physical and mental health Health Psychol 1994 13: 195–212.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grant DK45361 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, with additional funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. David Crawford was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Public Health Fellowship and a Heart Foundation Nutrition Research Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia

    D Crawford

  2. Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    RW Jeffery & SA French

Authors
  1. D Crawford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. RW Jeffery
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. SA French
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D Crawford.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Crawford, D., Jeffery, R. & French, S. Can anyone successfully control their weight? Findings of a three year community-based study of men and women. Int J Obes 24, 1107–1110 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801374

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801374

Keywords

  • weight maintenance
  • success
  • recividism

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links