Maintenance strategies for the treatment of obesity: An evaluation of relapse prevention training and posttreatment contact by mail and telephone

129 21-57 yr old moderately obese volunteers who averaged 57% over ideal weight were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 experimental conditions in a 3 × 2 factorial design. Three treatment conditions (nonbehavioral therapy, behavior therapy, or behavior therapy plus relapse prevention training) were crossed with 2 posttreatment conditions (posttreatment client-therapist contact by telephone and mail or no posttreatment contact). All treatments produced substantial initial weight losses, but Ss tended to regain weight during the follow-up period. Posttreatment client-therapist contact by mail and telephone significantly enhanced the maintenance of weight loss for groups that received nonbehavioral treatment or behavior therapy plus relapse prevention training, but it did not improve maintenance for groups that received behavior therapy only. At 12-mo follow-up, the only condition that maintained its mean posttreatment weight loss was the one that received behavior therapy plus relapse prevention training and posttreatment contact. (29 ref)