AUTHOR=Yang Xi , Chattopadhyay Kaushik , Hubbard Richard , Li Jia-Lin , Li Li , Lin Yi 

TITLE=36-Month Evaluation of a Weight Management Programme in Chinese Overweight and Obese Adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.749302

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.749302

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background 
Few comprehensive lifestyle intervention programmes have been investigated on overweight and obese adults in China. This study was to evaluate the effect of a 36-month weight management programme on weight loss and its maintenance among overweight and obese patients in Ningbo, China.
Methods 
Adults with BMI≥24 kg/m2 enrolled in this programme, including nutritional, physical activity, psychological and endocrinological counselling sessions, from July 2015 to January 2020. Adults participated in face-to-face counselling sessions and group-based education. Then, participants joined 21-day intensive programme using Bohe health APP and WeChat group to get personal advice of nutrition and lifestyle. In the end, participants were requested to join 33-month follow-ups including face-to-face counselling and personal advice on WeChat group. The main outcome was to evaluate the changes in weight at each followup from baseline weight.
Results
In total, 692 adults participated in this entire weight management programme. During follow-ups, 579, 475, 299, 219 and 135 adults participated at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months, respectively. All participants had a significant initial weight loss at 3 months, then maintained the weight loss during 33-month follow-ups. At 36 months, 11.0%, 6.4% and 3.5% of all participants achieved 5%, 10%, and 15% weight loss from the baseline weight, respectively. Adjusted weight at 36 months was significantly reduced from the baseline weight in both sex (-7.2kg). 
Conclusion
This weight management programme is suggested to benefit to reduce initial body weight and maintain long-term weight loss among overweight and obese adults.