Peer Support Groups for Weight Loss
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OBESITY AND DIET (G. RAO, SECTION EDITOR)
Peer Support Groups for Weight Loss Kelsey Ufholz 1
# The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Purpose of Review Social support, especially from peers, has been found to contribute to successful weight loss and long-term weight loss maintenance. Peer support groups may represent a particularly effective intervention technique for weight loss. This review focuses upon peer support weight loss interventions with the objective of identifying common elements of successful programs. Recent Findings Peer support interventions often consist of expert-led educational content, supplemented by peer-led activities or discussion. Peer groups may provide support to individuals who have little social support in their normal lives. Interventions are often designed for pre-existing groups, especially high-risk groups such as women from ethnic minorities. Men are underrepresented in weight loss programs and often perceive “dieting” as feminine. However, several peer programs for male sports fans have successfully resulted in weight loss and fostering support for healthy lifestyle among male peers. In addition to professionally created peer support groups, many online weight loss communities are created and moderated by peers. Online communities allow participants to share peer support similar to in-person formats. Summary Many peer support interventions show significant short-term weight loss. Group members frequently report that peer support was critical to their weight loss success. A sense of community among likeminded individuals with similar goals was frequently cited. Online peer support groups are becoming increasingly prevalent, may fulfill similar needs to in-person groups, and have additional advantages in accessibility, and access to a larger peer network, and may facilitate long-term adherence. Keywords Peer support . Weight loss . Weight loss maintenance . Online support
Introduction: Challenges of Commercial Weight Loss Programs Obesity is a serious growing health concern. In 2017–2018, 42.4% of American adults were obese [1]. Because of the well-known ill health associated with obesity [2] including greater risk of cardiovascular disease [3], many obese individuals enroll in weight loss programs to improve their health. Unfortunately, very few individuals successfully lose weight: Men with a BMI > 45 have a 1 in 5 chance of losing 5% body weight, while women (1 in 6 to10 chance) or men with a BMI 30–44.9 face even greater odds (1 in 8 to 12 chance) [4]. Even for those who defy the odds, long-term weight loss maintenance is difficult. A meta-analysis of studies examining This article is part of the Topical Collection on Obesity and Diet * Kelsey Ufholz [email protected] 1
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1056, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
weight loss among American adults enrolled in structured weight loss programs with at least 2 years of follow-up data found that 5 years post weight loss, only 23.4% of initial w
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