When weight management lasts: Lower perceived rule complexity increases adherence.
Quote:
When weight management lasts: Lower perceived rule complexity increases adherence.
ABSTRACT
Maintaining behavior change is one of the major challenges in weight management and long-term weight loss. We investigated the impact of the cognitive complexity of eating rules on adherence to weight management programs. We studied whether popular weight management programs can fail if participants find the rules too complicated from a cognitive perspective, meaning that individuals are not able to recall or process all required information for deciding what to eat. The impact on program adherence of participants' perceptions of eating rule complexity and other behavioral factors known to influence adherence (including previous weight management, self-efficacy, and planning) was assessed via a longitudinal online questionnaire given to 390 participants on two different popular weight management regimens. As we show, the regimens, Weight Watchers and a popular German recipe diet (Brigitte), strongly differ in objective rule complexity and thus their cognitive demands on the dieter. Perceived rule complexity was the strongest factor associated with increased risk of quitting the cognitively demanding weight management program (Weight Watchers); it was not related to adherence length for the low cognitive demand program (Brigitte). Higher self-efficacy generally helped in maintaining a program. The results emphasize the importance of considering rule complexity to promote long-term weight management.
Complex sells ongoing diet books/seminars/bars/supplements to a confused and frustrated group of people over and over again.....Simple just seems to work.
It's probably nothing new to anyone here, but I thought it was very well put by Martin. Wish I had this article to read (and the ability to understand/apply) a couple years ago.
Complexity is the name of the game when you want to repackage the same old diets in a new, easy to sell, form.
Interesting stuff, nonetheless, although I can't say I'm crazy about the way in which the study was conducted based on the limited info available in the abstract. 390 online questionnaires... I don't know.
__________________
"Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." —Henry Van Dyke
Catalyst Athletics is a USA Weightlifting team of competitive Olympic-style weightlifters. We are currently recruting new lifters and offer sponsorship opportunities.
When weight management lasts: Lower perceived rule complexity increases adherence.
Hybrid Mode
