Worksite-based weight loss programs can result in modest short-term improvements in body weight, revealed by researchers in a study. The purpose of the study was to update a review on the effectiveness of worksite-based weight-loss programs.
Researchers at University of Cincinnati searched electronic databases to include 11 randomized controlled trials published after 1994, which met the inclusion criteria. The review included 46% studies that looked at low-intensity programs, 18% at moderate-intensity programs, and 36% at high-intensity programs.
Employees in high-intensity programs lost an average of between 2.2 pounds and nearly 14 pounds, compared with a loss of 1.5 pounds to a gain of 1.1 pounds among workers who didn’t take part in a weight loss program.
However, long-term data on health and economic outcomes are lacking in the review.
The study was published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Source:
Worksite-Based Weight Loss Programs: A Systematic Review of Recent Literature
Source: American Journal of Health Promotion, USA