National Weight Control Registry

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is a research study that includes people (18 years or older) who have lost at least 13.6 kg (30 lbs) of weight and kept it off for at least one year. There are currently over 10,000 members enrolled in the study, making it perhaps the largest study of weight loss ever conducted. Members complete annual questionnaires about their current weight, diet and exercise habits, and behavioral strategies for weight loss maintenance.

The National Weight Control Registry is coordinated through the Miriam Hospital's "Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center" in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded and is currently overseen by Dr. Rena Wing at Brown University and Dr. James Hill at University of Colorado.

The registry is composed of approximately 80% women. The “average” female participant is 45 years old and currently 145 pounds while the average man is 49 years old and 190 pounds. On average, registry members have lost about 70 pounds and kept it off for five and a half years when joining the registry. However, within the study there is great variation in age, weight loss speed and duration, and amount of weight lost.

The research has shown that members lost weight by a wide variety of methods. However, 98% of people reduced their food intake and 94% of participants increased their exercise. After losing weight, almost all of the registry members ate breakfast and weighed themselves regularly, most commonly once per week. About 45% of registry participants lost weight on their own, while 55% of participants obtained help from some type of program. Registry participants watch less television than the average American, which leaves time to engage in about 60 minutes per day of moderate intensity physical activity, or the equivalent.

Research findings from the National Weight Control Registry have been featured in many national newspapers, magazines, and television broadcasts, including: USA Today, Oprah magazine, The Washington Post, and Good Morning America. They have also been published in many research journals, including Journal of Clinical Nutrition, International Journal of Obesity, Health Psychology, and Obesity Research.

For more, go to http://nwcr.ws/Research/published%20research.htm

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