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Successful weight maintenance factors highly gender-specific
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Highly gender-specific factors are associated with successful weight maintenance, according to study findings presented at Obesity Week.
“Sex-specific factors are important for weight maintenance advice, [including] modifiable lifestyle factors for women [and] genes and education for men,” Ulla Kärkkäinen, a PhD student in public health at the University of Helsinki, told Endocrine Today.
Ulla Kärkkäinen
Kärkkäinen and colleagues evaluated 2,452 women and 2,227 men who were born between 1975 and 1979 to determine which factors are associated with successful weight maintenance. The mean age of the participants at baseline was 24 years. Researchers defined weight maintenance as weight that was maintained within ±5% of baseline BMI. Food and beverage intake, exercise, and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were examined for their roles in successful weight maintenance.
Overall, 28.6% of women and 23% of men maintained their weight for 10 years. More women experienced net weight loss (7.5%) than men (3.8%). Mean weight gain was greater in men (10.3 kg) than in women (9.2 kg).
Weight gain in women was associated with more frequent use of sweet drinks, irregular eating, intentional weight-loss attempts, having two or more children, and being less satisfied with their life, whereas exercise was associated with successful weight maintenance.
Irregular eating, intentional weight-loss attempts and smoking were associated with weight gain among men, whereas higher baseline BMI and higher education were associated with successful weight maintenance.
“Factors associated with successful weight maintenance were highly gender-specific,” the researchers wrote. “Potentially modifiable lifestyle factors appeared more important for women, whereas difficult-to-modify factors, such as baseline weight and education, appeared to have a bigger role among men.”
However, Kärkkäinen said more studies are needed “to understand more how to assist primary weight maintenance (without weight loss) and understand more sex-specific aspects.” – by Amber Cox
For more information:
Kärkkäinen U. Abstract T-3094-OR. Presented at: Obesity Week; Nov. 2-7, 2014; Boston.
Disclosure: Kärkkäinen reports no relevant financial disclosures.