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Daily weighing may help with weight loss
CHICAGO — Adults who monitor their weight frequently with daily weighing may be more likely to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight than those who weigh themselves rarely, according to data presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
“We examined the self-weighing patterns of 1,042 adults and whether there were differences in weight change by these self-weighing patterns over 12 months,” Yaguang Zheng, PhD, MSN, RN, postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pittsburgh, told Cardiology Today. “We analyzed remotely transmitted self-weighing data from Health eHeart, an ongoing prospective e-cohort study. The participants weighed themselves at home as they normally would, without interventions, guidance or weight-loss incentives from researchers. We found that people who don’t weigh themselves at all or rarely were less likely to lose weight than those who weighed themselves often. Therefore, daily weighing may help with weight loss.”
For the study, researchers analyzed data related to participants’ (78% men; 90% white; mean age, 48 years; mean BMI, 28.9 kg/m2) weight beginning on the first day they used a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-enabled scale and continuing for 12 months.
Six temporal patterns of self-weighing were identified including nonusers (11.6%), weekly users (18.1%), rapid decliners (10.7%), increasing users (15.1%), slow decliners (17.6%) and persistent daily users (26.9%).
Researchers found that persistent daily users were more likely to be older, women or those who self-weighed 6 or 7 days during the first week of monitoring.
It was also observed that there were differences in percent weight change based on specific self-weighing patterns over time (P < .001), with persistent daily users (mean standard error, –1.7), increasing users (–0.8), rapid decliners (–1.9) and slow decliners (–1.8) losing significant weight over 12 months (P < .01 for all).
Nonusers and weekly users did not have significant weight loss (–0.2 and 0.2, respectively; P > .05 for both).
“Monitoring body weight may increase one’s awareness of how changing behaviors can affect weight loss,” Zheng said. “These findings support the central role of self-monitoring in changing behavior and increasing success in any attempt to better manage weight.” – by Melissa J. Webb
Reference:
Zheng Y, et al. Poster Sa2394. Presented at: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions; Nov. 10-12, 2018; Chicago.
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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Self-awareness is the underlying theme behind a study that examined the relationship between patterns of self-weight measurement and weight loss. The study group consisted of 1,042 individuals enrolled in the Health eHeart Study, an ongoing observational study that seeks to improve the accuracy of heart disease prediction.
In the present study, self-weight measurements made on digital smart scales were analyzed. Participants were not selected based on their BMI or intention to lose weight, nor were they given suggestions regarding the frequency of weight measurements or guidance regarding weight loss. The objectives were to identify patterns of self-weight measurements and evaluate the relationship between self-weight patterns and weight loss.
The results showed that self-weight measurements of individuals could be sorted into six clear patterns.
The six patterns of weight measurements ranged from individuals who never weighed themselves to those who weighed-in once a week, to those who weighed themselves daily. Other groups with intermediate frequency of weight measurements were identified with either a declining or accelerating pace of measurements throughout the study period.
The 12-month results showed that weight loss occurred in association with all temporal patterns of weight measurements except for two groups: those who never weighed themselves and those who checked only one weight per week.
This study was observational; participants were not selected on the basis of initial BMI or their efforts to lose weight. Therefore, the patterns of weight measurements and their relationship to weight loss observed in this study may not necessarily predict findings in those engaged in active efforts to lose weight.
Previous studies have shown a relationship between self-monitoring and weight loss. However, prior work has been limited by inaccuracies inherent in the self-reported measurements utilized.
A strength of this study was the use of digital transmission of weight information, assuring high-fidelity data that did not rely on self-reporting.
Most importantly, the findings reinforce the message that self-awareness is one of the pillars of successful weight loss.
Executive Director, Gaples Institute for Integrative Cardiology