Repeating Lifestyle Weight Loss Programs May Help Limit Long-Term Weight Regain

Dr Sanjay Kalra, Bharti Hospital, Karnal, India

People who returned to a structured lifestyle weight-loss program showed less weight and fat regain over the following five years.

A study examined whether taking part in a structured lifestyle weight-loss program more than once could help with long-term weight management. Researchers followed participants from two lifestyle intervention trials, CENTRAL conducted in 2012–2014 and DIRECT-PLUS conducted in 2017–2018. Participants were reassessed between 2022 and 2024 for changes in body weight, metabolic markers, and abdominal fat measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The analysis included 480 participants, contributing 572 trial observations. At follow-up, 384 participants were reassessed, including 76 rejoiners. During the first intervention, participants who later returned for a second program had a similar weight-loss response to those who participated only once, with weight loss of 3.4% and 3.3%, respectively.

When the rejoiners started the second intervention, their body mass index (BMI) was similar to their first baseline. However, they had lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and more favorable metabolic measures at the start of the second intervention. During the second intervention, rejoiners had smaller reductions in weight and abdominal fat compared with their first intervention and with first-time participants in the second trial.

Despite the smaller response during the second intervention, rejoiners regained less weight over the following five years. Weight regain was 0.2% among rejoiners compared with 2.9% among first-time participants.

Overall, repeated participation in a structured lifestyle intervention was associated with a smaller weight regain over five years, despite a weaker weight-loss response during the second intervention. The findings suggest that returning to a lifestyle program may still provide long-term benefits for weight and fat maintenance.

(Reference: Klein H, Pachter D, Goldberg Toren DT, Kamer O, Alufer L, Ebstein Karamani N, Chassidim Y, Shelef I, Rudich A, Yoel U, Ben-Arie G. How effective is rejoining a long-term weight loss program? The 5-and 10-year MRI-assessed Follow Interventions Trial (FIT) project. BMC medicine. 2026 Jan 30;24(1):121.)