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.

Association of weight change, weight control practices, and weight cycling among women in the Nurses' Health Study II

International Journal of Obesity volume 28, pages 1134–1142 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of weight cycling with weight change, weight control practices, and bulimic behaviors.

METHODS: A nested study of 2476 young and middle-aged women in the Nurses' Health Study II who provided information on intentional weight losses between 1989 and 1993.

SAMPLE: In total, 224 women who were severe cyclers, 741 women who were mild cyclers, 967 age- and BMI-matched controls (noncyclers), and 544 women who did not weight cycle and maintained their weight between 1989 and 1993 completed a questionnaire in 2000–2001 assessing recent intentional weight losses, weight control practices, and weight concerns.

RESULTS: After controlling for age and body mass index (BMI) in 1993, when weight cycling was initially assessed, mild cyclers gained an average of 6.7 pounds (lbs) more and severe cyclers gained approximately 10.3 lbs more than noncyclers between 1993 and 2001. Weight cyclers preferred to change their diet rather than to exercise to control their weight. Severe weight cyclers were less likely than noncyclers to use frequent exercise as a weight control strategy (odds ratio [OR]=0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6–1.1). Cyclers were also more likely than noncyclers to engage in binge eating (mild cyclers: OR=1.8, 95% CI 1.4–2.4; and severe cyclers: OR=2.5, 95% CI 1.7–3.5). Independent of weight cycling status, age, and BMI, women who engaged in binge eating gained approximately 5 lbs more than their peers (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Weight cycling was associated with greater weight gain, less physical activity, and a higher prevalence of binge eating. Low levels of activity and binge eating may be partially responsible for the large amount of weight regained by weight cyclers.

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

Figure 1

References

  1. Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL . Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2000. JAMA 2002; 288 (14): 1723–1727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Field AE, Camargo Jr CA, Taylor CB, Berkey CS, Frazier AL, Gillman MW, Colditz GA . Overweight, weight concerns, and bulimic behaviors among girls and boys. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1999; 38 (6): 754–760.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Field AE, Wolf AM, Herzog DB, Cheung L, Colditz GA . The relationship of caloric intake to frequency of dieting among preadolescent and adolescent girls. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1993; 32 (6): 1246–1252.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Casper RC, Offer D . Weight and dieting concerns in adolescents, fashion or symptom? Pediatrics 1990; 86 (3): 384–390.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wilfley DE, Schreiber GB, Pike KM, Striegel-Moore RH, Wright DJ, Rodin J . Eating disturbance and body image: a comparison of a community sample of adult black and white women. Int J Eat Disord 1996; 20 (4): 377–387.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Jeffery RW, French SA . Socioeconomic status and weight control practices among 20- to 45-year-old women. Am J Public Health 1996; 86 (7): 1005–1010.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Williamson DF, Serdula MK, Anda RF, Levy A, Byers T . Weight loss attempts in adults: goals, duration, and rate of weight loss. Am J Public Health 1992; 82 (9): 1251–1257.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Serdula MK, Collins ME, Williamson DF, Anda RF, Pamuk E, Byers TE . Weight control practices of U.S. adolescents and adults. Ann Intern Med 1993; 119 (7 Part 2): 667–671.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Korkeila M, Rissanen A, Kaprio J, Sorensen TI, Koskenvuo M . Weight-loss attempts and risk of major weight gain: a prospective study in Finnish adults. Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 70 (6): 965–975.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Juhaeri, Steven J, Chambless LE, Tyroler HA, Harp J, Jones D, Arnett D . Weight change among self-reported dieters and non-dieters in white and African American men and women. Eur J Epidemiol 2001; 17 (10): 917–923.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kroke A, Liese AD, Schulz M, Bergmann MM, Klipstein-Grobusch K, Hoffmann K, Boeing H . Recent weight changes and weight cycling as predictors of subsequent two year weight change in a middle-aged cohort. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2002; 26 (3): 403–409.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Field AE, Byers T, Hunter DJ, Laird NM, Manson JE, Williamson DF, Willett WC, Colditz GA . Weight cycling, weight gain, and risk of hypertension in women. Am J Epidemiol 1999; 150 (6): 573–579.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hamm P, Shekelle RB, Stamler J . Large fluctuations in body weight during young adulthood and twenty-five-year risk of coronary death in men. Am J Epidemiol 1989; 129 (2): 312–318.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Lissner L, Odell PM, D'Agostino RB, Stokes III J, Kreger BE, Belanger AJ, Brownell KD . Variability of body weight and health outcomes in the Framingham population. N Engl J Med 1991; 324 (26): 1839–1844.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lee IM, Paffenbarger Jr RS . Change in body weight and longevity. JAMA 1992; 268 (15): 2045–2049.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Blair SN, Shaten J, Brownell K, Collins G, Lissner L . Body weight change, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality in the multiple risk factor intervention trial. Ann Intern Med 1993; 119 (7 Part 2): 749–757.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Will JC, Williamson DF, Ford ES, Calle EE, Thun MJ . Intentional weight loss and 13-year diabetes incidence in overweight adults. Am J Public Health 2002; 92 (8): 1245–1248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Lissner L, Andres R, Muller DC, Shimokata H . Body weight variability in men: metabolic rate, health and longevity. Int J Obes 1990; 14 (4): 373–383.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Colditz GA, Willett WC, Rotnitzky A, Manson JE . Weight gain as a risk factor for clinical diabetes mellitus in women. Ann Intern Med 1995; 122 (7): 481–486.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Huang Z, Willett WC, Manson JE, Rosner B, Stampfer MJ, Speizer FE, Colditz GA . Body weight, weight change, and risk for hypertension in women. Ann Intern Med 1998; 128 (2): 81–88.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Willett WC, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Rosner B, Speizer FE, Hennekens CH . Weight, weight change, and coronary heart disease in women. Risk within the ‘normal’ weight range. JAMA 1995; 273 (6): 461–465.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Calle EE, Rodriguez C, Walker-Thurmond K, Thun MJ . Overweight, obesity, and mortality from cancer in a prospectively studied cohort of U.S. adults. N Engl J Med 2003; 348 (17): 1625–1638.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Huang Z, Hankinson SE, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Hunter DJ, Manson JE, Hennekens CH, Rosner B, Speizer FE, Willett WC . Dual effects of weight and weight gain on breast cancer risk. JAMA 1997; 278 (17): 1407–1411.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Trentham-Dietz A, Newcomb PA, Egan KM, Titus-Ernstoff L, Baron JA, Storer BE, Stampfer M, Willett WC . Weight change and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer (United States). Cancer Causes Control 2000; 11 (6): 533–542.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Solomon CG, Willett WC, Carey VJ, Rich-Edwards J, Hunter DJ, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Speizer FE, Spiegelman D, Manson JE . A prospective study of pregravid determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus. JAMA 1997; 278 (13): 1078–1083.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Dietary, Guideline, Advisory, Committee. Report of the Dietary Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture; 1995.

  27. French SA, Jeffery RW, Folsom AR, Williamson DF, Byers T . Relation of weight variability and intentionality of weight loss to disease history and health-related variables in a population-based sample of women aged 55–69 years. Am J Epidemiol 1995; 142 (12): 1306–1314.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Williamson DF, Pamuk E, Thun M, Flanders D, Byers T, Heath C . Prospective study of intentional weight loss and mortality in never-smoking overweight US white women aged 40–64 years. Am J Epidemiol 1995; 141 (12): 1128–1141.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Chute CG, Litin LB, Willett WC . Validity of self-reported waist and hip circumferences in men and women. Epidemiology 1990; 1 (6): 466–473.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Stunkard AJ, Messick S . The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger. J Psychosom Res 1985; 29 (1): 71–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Herman C, Polivy J . Restrained eating. In: Stunkard A (ed). Obesity. WB Saunders Co.: Philadelphia, PA; 1980. pp 208–225.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Laessle RG, Tuschl RJ, Kotthaus BC, Pirke KM . A comparison of the validity of three scales for the assessment of dietary restraint. J Abnorm Psychol 1989; 98 (4): 504–507.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Schoeller DA, Shay K, Kushner RF . How much physical activity is needed to minimize weight gain in previously obese women? Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 66 (3): 551–556.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Ewbank PP, Darga LL, Lucas CP . Physical activity as a predictor of weight maintenance in previously obese subjects. Obes Res 1995; 3 (3): 257–263.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Field AE, Wing RR, Manson JE, Spiegelman DL, Willett WC . Relationship of a large weight loss to long-term weight change among young and middle-aged US women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001; 25 (8): 1113–1121.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Pronk N, Wing R . Physical activity and long-term weight maintenance. Obes Res 1994; 2: 587–599.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Yong LC, Kuller LH, Rutan G, Bunker C . Longitudinal study of blood pressure: changes and determinants from adolescence to middle age, 1957–1963 to 1989–1990. The Dormont high school follow-up study. Am J Epidemiol 1993; 138 (11): 973–983.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Field AE, Coakley EH, Must A, Spadano JL, Laird N, Dietz WH, Rimm E, Colditz GA . Impact of overweight on the risk of developing common chronic diseases during a 10-year period. Arch Intern Med 2001; 161 (13): 1581–1586.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Manson JE, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Rosner B, Monson RR, Speizer FE, Hennekens CH . A prospective study of obesity and risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med 1990; 322 (13): 882–889.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Manson JE, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Hunter DJ, Hankinson SE, Hennekens CH, Speizer FE . Body weight and mortality among women. N Engl J Med 1995; 333 (11): 677–685.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Field A, Austin S, Taylor C, Malspeis S, Rosner B, Rockett H, Gillman MW, Colditz GA . The relation between dieting and weight change among preadolescents and adolescents. Pediatrics 2003; 112: 900–906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Stunkard AJ, Allison KC . Two forms of disordered eating in obesity: binge eating and night eating. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2003; 27 (1): 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Pasman WJ, Saris WH, Westerterp-Plantenga MS . Predictors of weight maintenance. Obes Res 1999; 7 (1): 43–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. French SA, Jeffery RW, Forster JL, McGovern PG, Kelder SH, Baxter JE . Predictors of weight change over two years among a population of working adults: the Healthy Worker Project. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1994; 18 (3): 145–154.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Nan Laird for her thoughtful comments and suggestions on the manuscript and Dr Meir Stampfer for his suggestions on items to include on the questionnaire. Dr Field was partially supported by the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center (DK 42600). Additional funding was provided by a research Grant (CA50385-09) from the National Institutes of Health, and a First Independent Research Support and Training Award (R29) Grant (HL57871-01) from the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, USA

    A E Field

  2. Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA

    A E Field, J E Manson, W C Willett & G A Colditz

  3. Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA

    J E Manson

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA

    C B Taylor

  5. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, USA

    W C Willett & G A Colditz

  6. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, USA

    W C Willett

Authors
  1. A E Field
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J E Manson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C B Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. W C Willett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G A Colditz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A E Field.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Field, A., Manson, J., Taylor, C. et al. Association of weight change, weight control practices, and weight cycling among women in the Nurses' Health Study II. Int J Obes 28, 1134–1142 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802728

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802728

Keywords

  • women
  • weight gain
  • weight control
  • weight cycling
  • bingeing

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links