ArticlePloS one2020
Trying again (and again): Weight cycling and depressive symptoms in U.S. adults.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed.
- How effective is rejoining a long-term weight loss program? The 5- and 10-year MRI-assessed Follow Interventions Trial (FIT) project.BMC medicine · 2026Trial
- Regulation of Cues vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Binge Eating and Weight Loss Among Veterans: A Feasibility and Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- The relationship between psychological distress and weight maintenance in weight cycling: mediating role of eating behavior.BMC public health · 2024Trial
- Body Composition Changes after a Weight Loss Intervention: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study.Nutrients · 2021Trial
- The Weight Management Hope Scale: Initial Validation of a Measure to Assess Goal-Directed Thinking in Obesity Research and Practice.Obesity science & practice · 2026Article
- Adaptation or Maladaptation? Rethinking How Energy Restriction Outcomes Are Monitored.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Article
- Female sex, vegetarian status, nutritional knowledge, sleep quality, and excess weight are associated with intention to lose weight among university students: A cross-sectional study.Obesity pillars · 2026Article
- Obesogenic Inflammatory Memory: A New Concept Related to the Dangerous Effects of Weight Cycling.Biomolecules · 2026Article
- Single cell RNA-sequencing suggests a novel lipid-associated mast cell population following weight cycling.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Detecting and addressing eating disorders among individuals experiencing food insecurity: considerations for dietetic practice.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Associations between adverse childhood experiences and history of weight cycling.Obesity science & practice · 2024Article
- The psychological legacy of past obesity and early mortality: evidence from two longitudinal studies.BMC medicine · 2023Article
- Barriers and facilitators for sustainable weight loss in the pre-conception period among Danish women with overweight or obesity - a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Subtyping Patients With Chronic Disease Using Longitudinal BMI Patterns.IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics · 2023Article
- Who is trying to lose weight? Trends and prevalence in past-year weight loss attempts among US adults 1999-2018 at the intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, and weight status.Eating behaviors · 2022Article
- The perceived role of food and eating among turkish women with obesity: A qualitative analysis.Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) · 2022Article
- Implications of Dietary Intake and Eating Behaviors for People with Serious Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study.Nutrients · 2022Article
- Biological, Psychological, and Social Determinants of Depression: A Review of Recent Literature.Brain sciences · 2021Review
- Social Capital as a Mediator in the Link between Women's Participation in Team Sports and Health-Related Outcomes.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Diet, Obesity, and Depression: A Systematic Review.Journal of personalized medicine · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
As the prevalence of overweight and obesity have risen over the past few decades, so have weight control attempts. Research has shown, however, that intentional weight loss results are often short-lived, with people regaining the weight over time. This can lead to weight cycling-losing and gaining weight repeatedly. Previous research, mostly done over two decades ago, concluded there was no relationship between weight cycling and psychological health. The goal of the current paper was to re-examine the relationship between weight cycling and depressive symptoms in a national sample of American adults (N = 2702; 50.7% female; mean age = 44.8 years). If, as hypothesized, there is a relationship between more frequent weight cycling and depressive symptoms, then internalized weight stigma will be examined as a potential mediator of the relationship. Results of a cross-sectional survey showed that 74.6% of adults report they have intentionally tried to lose weight. Amongst those who have tried to lose to weight, the average number of weight cycles over the lifetime was 7.82 cycles. Simultaneous regression showed that greater weight cycling was related to greater reported depressive symptoms (β = .15, p < .001), controlling for age, gender, education, income, and body mass index. Internalized weight stigma was a partial mediator of this relationship. Discussion focuses on the potential implications for weight cycling and mental health.
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