Weight loss and weight gain among participants in a community-based weight loss Challenge

BACKGROUND: To describe the characteristics of participants who registered for multiple annual offerings of a community-based weight loss program called The Challenge, and to determine participant characteristics associated with weight change over multiple offerings of The Challenge occurring during the years 2010–2016. METHODS: Multivariable linear mixed effects analyses were conducted to describe percent weight change within and between offerings of The Challenge by participant characteristics. RESULTS: There were 669 and 575 participants included in the within and between analyses, respectively, for offerings of The Challenge. Among the 434 participants who lost weight in their first attempt at The Challenge and completed the initial weigh-in for a subsequent offering of The Challenge, 22.4% maintained their weight loss or had greater weight loss by the next Challenge, 40.3% gained back some weight, and 37.3% gained back all or more of the weight they lost during their first Challenge. Men had a significantly greater percent weight loss compared to women in their first and second Challenge and men were more likely to gain weight between Challenges. Participants who returned to more Challenges had a greater accumulated percent weight loss compared to those who returned to fewer Challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The current weight loss Challenge appears to contribute to helping a percentage of participants lose weight and maintain some or all of the weight loss.