Lessons Learned from the Mothers' Overweight Management Study in 4 West Virginia WIC Offices

A pilot was conducted to test the feasibility and compare the effectiveness of a group approach (facilitated group discussions) to that of a self-guided approach (newsletters) to weight management in postpartum women enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (baseline n = 151; final n = 64). Mean group attendance was 3.6/10 sessions. Being older and meeting with the dietitian were related to greater attendance (P <.01). At 1 year, there were no significant differences in weight between groups. There is a critical need for weight-management interventions in the postpartum period. Lessons learned are presented.