Enhancing Employee Wellness: Translating an Effective Community Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment to the Worksite.

Abstract

Objective: As rates of obesity continue to rise in the United States, there is a need for effective treatments for excess adiposity. Behavioral weight loss interventions such as the Diabetes Prevention Program can produce clinically meaningful weight reduction through lifestyle modifications that include improving diet and physical fitness. Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of these interventions when delivered at community sites and jobsites. However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of high-intensity behavioral weight loss interventions at Hawaii worksites. This research investigated the effectiveness of a previously validated behavioral weight loss intervention called the Lifestyle Balance Program in a Hawaii worksite. Method: Thirty-six participants with a body mass index ≥ 25 were recruited from the employee population of a local employer. Participants received 6 months of group behavioral weight loss treatment from trained providers. Anthropomorphic, physiological, psychological, and behavioral assessments were collected at pre-treatment and post-treatment. Additionally, select physiological and behavioral assessments were collected every four sessions. Data collected from workplace participants was compared to previously collected data from community participants. Results: Sixty-one percent of participants adhered to treatment and 78% of participants completed treatment. From pre-treatment to post-treatment, participants achieved clinically significant improvements in weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference, with accompanying physiological, psychological and behavioral improvements. Repeated measures analyses revealed that participants achieved significant changes in weight, body mass index, and waist circumference across time points, as well as improvements in specific eating habits across time points. Conclusion: The present study adds to the literature supporting the effectiveness of worksite behavioral weight loss programs and indicates that such programs may produce clinically significant weight losses for a large proportion of participants, accompanied by significant improvements in physiological, behavioral and psychological outcomes that occur over the course of treatment. In light of the severe consequences of the obesity epidemic, this research is promising for the ongoing implementation of behavioral weight loss approaches.