Susan Peirce Thompson, Andrew Kurt Thaw*, Mark G Goetting, Win Guan
Objective: The current study evaluates two-year weight outcomes for participants of the Bright Line Eating: Boot Camp program (BLE:BC), a weight management program that teaches participants to abstain from sugar and flour within a food addiction framework.
Methods: Data come from participants in the BLE:BC Follow-up Research Program. Participants were invited to complete monthly follow-up surveys. First, we examined primary outcomes of percent weight loss (%WL) and change in body mass index (BMI) for participants who completed both the BLE:BC program and at least one followup survey. Next, we examined %WL and BMI change only among participants who completed all surveys.
Results: An independent samples analysis showed that, at the time of each follow-up survey (6, 12, 18, and 24 months), participants reported clinically significant weight loss (>5%WL) from baseline. Weight loss at each followup was significantly greater than at the end of the BLE:BC program (>7.9%WL). Among participants who completed all surveys (n=238), weight loss was higher among participants enrolled in the Bright Lifers continuity program at 12, 18, and 24 months. At the 24-month follow-up, participants enrolled in the Bright Lifers program experienced an average 15.3%WL and a 5.0 reduction in BMI.
Conclusion: A rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of commercial weight loss programs remains imperative. As research on the construct of food addiction in humans’ increases, evaluating treatment approaches becomes increasingly important. Although the generalizability of the current study is limited due to selection bias and sample homogeneity, this study contributes significant findings to the literature showing sustained, long-term weight loss among participants in the BLE:BC program.
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