ArticleObesity (Silver Spring, Md.)2013
Differences in motivations and weight loss behaviors in young adults and older adults in the National Weight Control Registry.
Article in Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 116 citations in OpenAlex.
- Successful weight loss maintenance: A systematic review of weight control registries.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2020Pooled it
- Effect of food swap recommendations on the healthfulness and carbon footprint of grocery purchases in a naturalistic online store: A randomized parallel trial.PLoS medicine · 2026Trial
- Evaluating the impact of communicating high polygenic risk for coronary artery disease on the health behaviour of young overweight adults: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Countermarketing Versus Health Education Messages About Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: An Online Randomized Controlled Trial of US Adults.American journal of public health · 2024Trial
- Group Lifestyle Intervention With Mobile Health for Young Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) · 2022Trial
- Attitudes about smoking cessation treatment, intention to quit, and cessation treatment utilization among young adult smokers with severe mental illnesses.Addictive behaviors · 2019Trial
- Improved eating behaviours mediate weight gain prevention of young adults: moderation and mediation results of a randomised controlled trial of TXT2BFiT, mHealth program.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2016Trial
- Who is the Treatment-Seeking Young Adult with Severe Obesity: A Comprehensive Characterization with Emphasis on Mental Health.PloS one · 2015Trial
- Weight Loss Medications in Youth: Decision-Making Experiences, Eating Behaviors, and Uncertainty About Endpoint.The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2026Article
- Type 2 diabetes remission and metabolic outcomes 5 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in young vs older adults: a multicentre matched cohort study.Diabetologia · 2026Article
- Protocol for a pilot RCT investigating a weight loss navigation program for adults.Contemporary clinical trials · 2026Article
- Psychological well-being factors and the likelihood of transitioning from overweight and obesity to normal weight at population level: Evidence from two cohort studies of UK adults.Journal of health psychology · 2025Article
- Body weight reduction in women treated with tirzepatide by reproductive stage: a post hoc analysis from the SURMOUNT program.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2025Article
- Beliefs underlying weight control behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults living with obesity: an elicitation qualitative study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Demographic correlates of weight-loss strategies in US adults: Cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data 2017-2020.Preventive medicine reports · 2024Article
- The association between gender-affirming care and disordered eating in transgender and gender diverse individuals: Exploring appearance congruence and gender-related motivating factors for weight loss.The International journal of eating disorders · 2024Article
- Weight history of individuals with and without physical disability in the International Weight Control Registry.Obesity science & practice · 2024Article
- Real-world evidence of characteristics and factors influencing herbal medicine use for weight loss in adults.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2024Article
- Delivering the National Diabetes Prevention Program: Assessment of Retention, Physical Activity, and Weight Loss Outcomes by Participant Characteristics and Delivery Modes.Journal of diabetes research · 2024Article
- Self-reported high-risk behavior among first-time and repeat replacement blood donors; a four-year retrospective study of patterns.PloS one · 2024Article
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe goal of this study was to compare young adults (YA) and older adults (OA) in the National Weight Control Registry on motivations for weight loss and weight-loss behaviors. DESIGN AND
methodsParticipants (n = 2,964, 82% female, 94% White, BMI = 24.8 ± 4.4) were divided into two age groups (18-35 vs. 36-50) and compared on motivations, strategies for weight loss, diet, physical activity (PA), and the three-factor eating questionnaire.
resultsYA were 28.6% of the sample (n = 848). YA and OA achieved similar weight losses (P = 0.38), but duration of maintenance was less in YA (43 vs. 58 months, P < 0.001). YA were more likely to cite appearance and social motivations for weight loss, were less motivated by health, and were less likely to report a medical trigger for weight loss (P's < 0.001). YA were more likely to use exercise classes and to lose weight on their own, and less likely to use a commercial program (P's < 0.001). YA reported engaging in more high-intensity PA (P = 0.001). There were no group differences in total calories consumed (P = 0.47), or percent calories from fat (P = 0.97), alcohol (P = 0.52), or sugar-sweetened beverages (P = 0.26).
conclusionsYA successful weight losers (SWL) are motivated more by appearance and social influences than OA, and physical activity appears to play an important role in their weight-loss efforts. The differences reported by YA and OA SWL should be considered when developing weight-loss programs for YA.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.