The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of long-term weight loss maintenance (LTWLM) among U.S. adults. For that purpose, weight data from 14,306 participants (age 20-84 years) in the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. LTWLM was defined as a 10% weight loss maintained for at least 1 year. Results showed that among U.S. adults who had ever been overweight or obese, 36.6, 17.3, 8.5 and 4.4% reported LTWLM of at least 5, 10, 15 and 20%, respectively. The average and median amounts of weight lost in these individuals with LTWLM of at least 10% was ≈19.1 and 15.5 kg, respectively. It was observed that 19.1% of women vs. 15.6% of men (p<0.0001) were able to achieve LTWLM of at least 10%. Although they found that LTWLM was more common in older adults (age 75-84 years), the authors indicated that there was probably more unintentional weight loss in this population. In addition, patients with diabetes had a higher prevalence of LTWLM explained by consistent recommendations from the American Diabetes Association to lose weight. These results are encouraging, but it remains clear that the great majority of individuals who are overweight are unable to lose much weight and most of all to maintain it in the long term.
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