Enhancing Employee Wellness: Translating an Effective Community Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment to the Worksite.
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2017-08
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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.
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Obesity, worksite, Diabetes Prevention Program, social support
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