Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity

Weight loss can be achieved through a variety of modalities, but long-term maintenance of lost weight is much more challenging. Obesity interventions typically result in early weight loss followed by a weight plateau and progressive regain. This article describes current understanding of the biological, behavioral, and environmental factors driving this near ubiquitous body weight trajectory and the implications for long-term weight management. Treatment of obesity requires ongoing clinical attention and weight maintenance-specific counseling to support sustainable healthful behaviors and positive weight regulation.