SynthesisObesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity2026
Effective Behavior Change Techniques for Successful Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance Among Adults With Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Achieving and maintaining weight loss are challenging and require sustained lifestyle changes. This study examined which behavior change techniques (BCTs) support long-term weight outcomes among adults with overweight or obesity. We synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials of behavioral interventions versus control or alternative interventions, focusing on nonclinical adults (BMI > 25) with ≥ 6-month follow-up, published between 2010 and 2025, that reported weight outcomes. Sixty-five studies (approximately 10,000 participants) evaluating 87 behavioral interventions targeting physical activity, diet, or both were included. BCTs were coded using the BCT Taxonomy v1. Meta-analysis estimated pooled effects on total weight loss (baseline to follow-up) and weight maintenance (posttreatment to follow-up). Behavioral interventions produced a mean effect size for total weight loss of Hedges' g = -0.19 (95% CI = -0.30 to -0.13), equating to an average additional weight loss of approximately 3.25 kg compared to controls. No significant effect was found for weight maintenance after initial loss, indicating no statistically significant difference in weight change between intervention and control groups during follow-up. Meta-regression examined the number of BCTs, intervention type, and follow-up duration, but none significantly moderated effects. Subgroup analyses identified the following effective BCTs: goal setting, feedback on behavior and outcome(s) of behavior, self-monitoring of behavior and outcome(s) of behavior, instruction on how to perform the behavior, demonstration of the behavior, conserving mental resources and incentives. These BCTs appear to support relative long-term weight outcomes and warrant further investigation.
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.