THE LONG WEIGHT IS OVER

A study by California Polytechnic State University has revealed some information on how people lose weight and keep it off. The large-scale study of 6,000 participants showed some of the strategies for success include persevering despite setbacks; regularly looking back at what their life was like before the weight loss; and remaining focused on their health. “One of the most impressive findings was how weight-loss maintainers described perseverance in the face of setbacks,” said Professor Suzanne Phelan, who led the study. “Weight-loss maintainers saw setbacks as part of their successful journey. Setbacks were not described as failures. They were seen as a temporary interruption in their path. Many weight-loss maintainers described getting back on track at the next meal or the next day and measuring overall success based on long-term goals.” The study also demonstrated that weight-loss ‘maintainers’:

• Remain motivated to maintain the weight loss mostly by health and appearance, as well as reflecting on past experiences.

• Believe that the most important changes include reduced pain, medical status, confidence, feeling more at ease and comfortable mentally and physically, plus fitness and body image.

• Describe the consequences of successful weight loss as challenges related to: the cost of buying new clothes, unexpected criticism from others, sagging skin and the effort needed to keep up a healthy lifestyle.