Identified mediators for medium-/long-term weight control were higher levels of autonomous motivation , self-efficacy/barriers , self-regulation skills ( such as self-monitoring ) , flexible eating restraint , and positive body image .
For physical activity , significant putative mediators were high autonomous motivation , self-efficacy , and use of self-regulation skills .
For dietary intake , the evidence was much less clear , and no consistent mediators were identified .
Conclusions This is the first systematic review of mediational psychological mechanisms of successful outcomes in obesity-related lifestyle change interventions .
Despite limited evidence , higher autonomous motivation , self-efficacy , and self-regulation skills emerged as the best predictors of beneficial weight and physical activity outcomes ; for weight control , positive body image and flexible eating restraint may additionally improve outcomes .
These variables represent possible targets for future lifestyle interventions in overweight/obese population
Background Relapse is high in lifestyle obesity interventions involving behavior and weight change .
Identifying mediators of successful outcomes in these interventions is critical to improve effectiveness and to guide approaches to obesity treatment , including re source allocation .
This article review s the most consistent self-regulation mediators of medium- and long-term weight control , physical activity , and dietary intake in clinical and community behavior change interventions targeting overweight/obese adults .
Weight loss by mobile phone: a 1-year effectiveness study.
OBJECTIVE To investigate the short- and long-term effectiveness and the predictors of weight loss in a mobile phone weight-loss programme  among healthy overweight adults . DESIGN One hundred and twenty-five healthy , overweight ( BMI = 26 - 36 kg/m2 ) , 25 - 44-year-old , screened volunteers were r and omized to an experimental group ( n 62 ) to use a mobile phone-operated weight-loss programme or to a control group ( n 63 ) with no intervention . Via text messaging , the programme instructed a staggered reduction of food intake and daily weight reporting with immediate tailored feedback . Assessment s were at 0 , 3 , 6 , 9 and 12 months for the experimental group ; at 0 and 12 months for the control group . Main outcome variables were changes in body weight and waist circumference . RESULTS By 12 months the experimental group had lost significantly more weight than the control group ( 4.5 ( sd 5.0 ) v. 1.1 ( sd 5.8 ) kg ; F(1,80 ) = 8.0 , P = 0.006 ) and had a greater reduction in waist circumference ( 6.3 ( sd 5.3 ) v. 2.4 ( sd 5.4 ) cm ; F(1,80 ) = 55.2 , P = 0.0001 ) . Early weight loss , self-efficacy , contact frequency , attitudes towards the medium , changes in work and family life and changes made in dietary habits were the strongest predictors of weight loss . CONCLUSIONS This mobile phone weight-loss programme was effective in short- and long-term weight loss . As a minimum-advice , maximal-contact programme , it offers ideas for future weight-loss programmes
Identified mediators for medium-/long-term weight control were higher levels of autonomous motivation , self-efficacy/barriers , self-regulation skills ( such as self-monitoring ) , flexible eating restraint , and positive body image .
For physical activity , significant putative mediators were high autonomous motivation , self-efficacy , and use of self-regulation skills .
For dietary intake , the evidence was much less clear , and no consistent mediators were identified .
Conclusions This is the first systematic review of mediational psychological mechanisms of successful outcomes in obesity-related lifestyle change interventions .
Despite limited evidence , higher autonomous motivation , self-efficacy , and self-regulation skills emerged as the best predictors of beneficial weight and physical activity outcomes ; for weight control , positive body image and flexible eating restraint may additionally improve outcomes .
These variables represent possible targets for future lifestyle interventions in overweight/obese population
Background Relapse is high in lifestyle obesity interventions involving behavior and weight change .
Identifying mediators of successful outcomes in these interventions is critical to improve effectiveness and to guide approaches to obesity treatment , including re source allocation .
This article review s the most consistent self-regulation mediators of medium- and long-term weight control , physical activity , and dietary intake in clinical and community behavior change interventions targeting overweight/obese adults .