Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42259951›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2026

Effectiveness of a behavioral weight management intervention by race, ethnicity, income, and education: a meta-analysis.

Lorraine T Dean, Shadiya L Moss, Gary D Foster, Alexandra M Lee, John W Apolzan, Amy A Gorin, Stanley Heshka, John M Jakicic, David G Marrero, Patrick M O'Neil and 7 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Lorraine T DeanDepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. lori.dean@jhu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2272-2755
Shadiya L MossFXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
Gary D FosterCenter for Weight and Eating Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3960-0332
Alexandra M LeeWW International, Inc, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8146-1674
John W ApolzanPennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8492-7820
Amy A GorinDepartment of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Stanley HeshkaNew York Obesity Nutrition Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
John M JakicicDivision of Physical Activity and Weight Management, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA.
David G MarreroDivision of General Internal Medicine and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Patrick M O'NeilWeight Management Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Sherry L PagotoDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Ana M PalaciosJiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9489-2219
Kelly N B PalmerDivision of General Internal Medicine and Population Science, Department of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4818-6030
Renee J RogersDivision of Physical Activity and Weight Management, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA.
Deborah F TateDepartment of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Stephanie L FitzpatrickWW International, Inc, New York, NY, USA.
Michelle I CardelWW International, Inc, New York, NY, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRacially and ethnically marginalized groups experience disproportionately high obesity rates, but are underrepresented in clinical trials of obesity treatments. Obesity treatments seem less effective for marginalized groups, but studies are characterized by small samples, clinic-based treatments, and little attention to socioeconomic position. We evaluated weight loss outcomes of a widely-available behavioral weight management program (Weight Watchers; WW) by race, ethnicity, income and education.

methodsWe performed an individual participant data meta-analysis of 11 WW intervention studies published from 2000-2025. T-tests compared weight loss between intervention and control participants within race, ethnicity, income and education subgroups. Among intervention participants, fixed effects multivariable regression estimated the odds of achieving a 5% weight loss across subgroups.

resultsHere we show that among 2972 participants (19% Non-Hispanic Black, 7% Hispanic/Latine; 30% <$50,000/y) and a mean (SD) weight of 96.2 (18.1) kg, WW interventions produce significantly greater weight loss than controls in all subgroups at 3, 6, and 12 months. Within the intervention group, Non-Hispanic Black participants are significantly less likely to experience a 5% weight loss than Non-Hispanic White participants at 3, 6, and 12 months, but there are no differences by income or education.

conclusionsA widely-available weight management program is more effective than controls for weight loss in all race, ethnicity, income, and education subgroups. However, the likelihood of clinically significant weight loss varies when comparing across racial and ethnic groups. These data can assist practitioners and patients when choosing evidence-based approaches to manage obesity among racially and ethnically marginalized groups.

Identifiers

PMID42259951

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Registered trials

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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.