• Intervention
    What is the evidence that cognitive-behavioral therapy of short-term duration (less than six months) targeted to weight management results in long-term maintenance of health or food behavior change in adults counseled in an outpatient or clinic setting?
    • Conclusion

      One positive quality meta-analysis (29 RCTs), four neutral quality RCTs and three observational studies (one positive, one neutral, one negative quality) provide strong evidence that weight management treatment with diet and cognitive-behavioral therapy given in a six-month initial intervention period, results in modest weight loss after follow-up of at least 18 months post-treatment. Attrition rates increased the longer the follow-up was conducted. This is a common weakness of these studies that may result in outcome bias.

    • Grade: II
      • Grade I means there is Good/Strong evidence supporting the statement;
      • Grade II is Fair;
      • Grade III is Limited/Weak;
      • Grade IV is Expert Opinion Only;
      • Grade V is Not Assignable.
      • High (A) means we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect;
      • Moderate (B) means we are moderately confident in the effect estimate;
      • Low (C) means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited;
      • Very Low (D) means we have very little confidence in the effect estimate.
      • Ungraded means a grade is not assignable.