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Abstract

Background: Despite the significance placed on lifestyle interventions for obesity management, around 40% of weight loss is regained over the first year following treatment, and much of the rest over the next three years. Two psychological concepts (habitual behaviour and automaticity) have been suggested as the most plausible explanation of this overwhelming lack of long-term weight loss success. Method: We evaluated the efficacy of two interventions that explore these theories: Ten Top Tips (10TT) and Do Something Different (DSD). 10TT promotes automaticity; this is the ability to perform tasks without awareness or deliberation. Therefore, diet and exercise related behaviours become automatic or habitual. Conversely DSD promotes behavioural flexibility. This program disrupts daily routines by assigning an individual with unstructured tasks to perform. Behavioural flexibility therefore has an inverse relationship with automaticity and is defined as the measure of an individualâ��s range of mindful behaviours. Men and women (n=75), aged 51+6 (s.d.) years with body mass index 34.5+4.1 kg/m�² were randomised to 12-week 10TT, DSD or no treatment control. Active intervention participants underwent 12 weeks of the program with 12-months follow-up. Results: We collected data for weight, BMI, waist circumference as well as habitual behaviour and wellbeing. After 12 weeks intervention, weight loss averaged 4.6 kg in the 10TT group, 4.1 kg in the DSD group and 1.3 kg in the control group. There was significant improvement in wellbeing in the 10TT and DSD groups.

Biography

Email: gcleo@bond.edu.au