Self and External Monitoring of Weight

Abstract

Subjects were 23 obese men and women who received a behavioral weight control program and were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: (1) subjects were weighed at the beginning of each treatment session and were encouraged to weigh themselves at home for “continuous feedback” or (2) subjects were not weighed at group meetings and were instructed to avoid weighing themselves at home in order to “concentrate on behavioral change.” At posttreatment and at 4-wk. follow-up, the groups did not differ for change in bodyweight or change in percentage overweight. There was, however, a tendency for subjects who did not weigh themselves to lose more weight and to display lower attrition than weighed subjects at posttreatment and at the 4-wk. and 6-mo. follow-ups.