Three and Twelve Month Body Mass Outcomes After Attendance at a Community-Based Weight Management Intervention in the North West of England

Background: Research suggests that commercial weight management services are efficacious in helping people manage their body mass, but they typically only include education and advice on physical activity. The objective of this analysis was to assess 3- and 12-month body mass after attendance at a community-based weight management programme delivered by a commercial slimming group, which included the provision of tailored physical activity sessions by a local leisure trust between January 2009 and November 2014. Methods: After institutional ethical approval and participants giving informed consent, a retrospective analysis of a 12-week multi-component intervention, tier 2 community weight management service for adults in Wigan, North West England, United Kingdom, was undertaken. Participants’ (n = 8514) mean ± SD age was 47.4 ± 14.3 years and starting body mass was 86.7 ± 14.3 kg. The main outcome measure was body mass (kg) at 0 months (baseline), 3 months (immediately post intervention) and 12 months. Significant differences in body mass were ascertained if p < 0.05 using repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test, with effect sizes calculated using partial eta squared. To confirm and account for missing data, the Last Observation Carried Forward (LOCF) approach was used. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of time (p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.36). Post hoc tests revealed there was a significant reduction in body mass from baseline to 3 months (86.7 ± 14.3 kg vs. 81.2 ± 13.6 kg) and baseline to 12 months (79.7 ± 14.0 kg). The difference between 3 months and 12 months was also significant. LOCF confirmed a significant effect of time (p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.42), with all previously highlighted significant differences remaining. Conclusions: Significant reductions in body mass were reported at 3 and 12 months, providing evidence for the efficacy of the community weight management programme that included tailored physical activity opportunities for participants. Whilst comparisons to a resting control group cannot be made, partnerships between commercial slimming groups and local leisure providers should be encouraged and explored nationally.