Middle-aged women who are battling obesity do not do lose as much weight when they yo-yo diet, according to researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The most successful dieters are highly motivated, do not have too much weight to lose and have not been yo-yo dieting.

Researchers conducted a study of a four-month lifestyle behavioral weight reduction program and analyzed weight changes during that period to find the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful dieters. A total of 112 overweight and obese middle-aged women, average age 48, participated in the study.

The average weight and percentage fat losses among the 89 women who completed the study were -5.4 kg and -3.4 percent respectively. A higher number of recent dieting attempts and recent weight loss, a higher perceived negative impact of weight on the quality of life, greater weight-loss expectations, lower self-motivation, higher body size dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem were linked with less weight loss.

Researchers are hopeful that their findings will be useful in screening individuals before treatment, providing a better match of weight-loss intervention method to participants, and the creation of a weight loss readiness questionnaire.

Other sources: Journal of Behavioral Medicine