No abstract

VOGELS, NEELTJE, KRISTEL DIEPVENS, AND MARGRIET S. WESTERTERP-PLANTENGA. Predictors of long-term weight maintenance. Obes Res. 2005;13: 2162-2168. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate available variables of a long-term weight maintenance study to investigate possible factors predisposing to weight regain after a period of weight loss. Research Methods and Procedures:The Maastricht Weight Maintenance Study is an ongoing longitudinal study of healthy men and women (29 men and 62 women; 18 to 65 years of age; BMI ϭ 30.2 Ϯ 3.1 kg/m 2 ). A variety of parameters were measured before and after a very-lowenergy diet and after a follow-up of at least 2 years. Results: Mean weight loss was 7.9 Ϯ 3.6 kg, and percent weight regain was 113.8 Ϯ 98.1%. Percent BMI regain was negatively associated with an increase in dietary restraint (r ϭ Ϫ0.47, p Ͻ 0.05). Percent weight regain was negatively correlated with baseline resting metabolic rate (r ϭ Ϫ0.38, p ϭ 0.01) and baseline fat mass (r ϭ Ϫ0.24, p ϭ 0.05) and positively correlated with the magnitude of change in body weight (BW) expressed as maximum amplitude of BW (r ϭ 0.21, p Ͻ 0.05). In addition, amplitude of BW was positively correlated with the frequency of dieting (r ϭ 0.57, p Ͻ 0.01). Discussion: The best predictors for weight maintenance after weight loss were an increase in dietary restraint during weight loss, a high baseline resting metabolic rate, a relatively high baseline fat mass favoring a fat-free masssparing effect during weight loss, a rather stable BW, and a low frequency of dieting. Therefore, BW maintenance after BW loss seems to be a multifactorial issue, including mechanisms that regulate an individuals' energy expenditure, body composition, and eating behavior in such a way that energy homeostasis is maintained.

We assessed the effect of ingestion of green tea (GT) extract along with a low-energy diet (LED) on resting energy expenditure (REE), substrate oxidation and body weight as GT has been shown to increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation in the short term in both animals and people. Forty-six overweight women (BMI 27·6 (SD 1·8) kg/m 2 ) were fed in energy balance from day 1 to day 3, followed by a LED with GT (1125 mg tea catechins þ225 mg caffeine/d) or placebo (PLAC) from day 4 to day 87. Caffeine intake was standardised to 300 mg/d. Energy expenditure was measured on days 4 and 32. Reductions in weight (4·19 (SD 2·0) kg PLAC, 4·21 (SD 2·7) kg GT), BMI, waist:hip ratio, fat mass and fat-free mass were not statistically different between treatments. REE as a function of fat-free mass and fat mass was significantly reduced over 32 d in the PLAC group (P,0·05) but not in the GT group. Dietary restraint increased over time (P,0·001) in both groups, whereas disinhibition and general hunger decreased (P,0·05). The GT group became more hungry over time and less thirsty, and showed increased prospective food consumption compared with PLAC (P,0·05). Taken together, the ingestion of GT along with a LED had no additional benefit for any measures of body weight or body composition. Although the decrease in REE as a function of fat-free mass and fat mass was not significant with GT treatment, whereas it was with PLAC treatment, no significant effect of treatment over time was seen, suggesting that a robust limitation of REE reduction during a LED was not achieved by GT.

VOGELS,NEELTJE AND MARGRIET S. WESTERTERP-PLANTENGA. Successful long-term weight maintenance: a 2-year follow-up. Obesity. 2007;15: 1258 -1266. Objective: To find factors associated with successful weight maintenance (WM) in overweight and obese subjects after a very low-calorie diet (VLCD). Research Methods and Procedures: Subjects (133) followed a VLCD (2.1 MJ/d) for 6 weeks in a free-living situation. Of these, 103 subjects (age, 49.6 Ϯ 9.7 years; BMI, 30.9 Ϯ 3.8 kg/m 2 ) completed the following 2-year WM period. Body weight (BW), body composition, leptin concentration, attitude toward eating, and physical activity were determined right before (t0) and after (t1) the VLCD, after 3 months (t2), after 1 year (t3), after 1.5 years (t4), and after 2 years (t5). Results: BW loss during VLCD was 7.2 Ϯ 3.1 kg. After 2 years, follow-up BW regain was 69.0 Ϯ 98.4%. After 2 years of WM, 13 subjects were successful (Ͻ10% BW regain), and 90 were unsuccessful (Ͼ10% BW regain). At baseline, these groups were significantly different in BMI (33.7 Ϯ 4.7 vs. 30.5 Ϯ 3.5 kg/m 2 , respectively; p Ͻ 0.05) and fat mass (38.3 Ϯ 9.8 vs. 32.1 Ϯ 8.3 kg, p Ͻ 0.05). Successful subjects increased their dietary restraint significantly more during the whole study period (dietary restraint score, Ϫ4.9 Ϯ 4.4 vs. Ϫ2.1 Ϯ 3.8). Furthermore, %BW regain was associated with the amount of percentage body fat lost during VLCD, which indicates that the more fat lost, the better the WM, suggesting a fat free mass-sparing effect. Discussion: Characteristics such as the ability to increase dietary restraint and maintain this high level of restraint, fat free mass sparing, and a relatively high baseline BMI and fat mass were associated with successful long-term WM (Ͻ10% regain after 2 years).

In this homogeneous cohort of normal-weight to moderately overweight children, tracking of BMI during childhood took place from the first year of life. Overweight at age 12 y was predicted by an early rapid increase in BW and parental influences. Overweight during childhood may be maintained or even promoted by a high dietary restraint score and low physical activity.