What evidence-based lifestyle interventions should I recommend for patients struggling with weight maintenance?

Recommended evidence-based lifestyle interventions for patients struggling with weight maintenance include:

• Encourage a balanced, healthy diet focusing on starchy foods (preferably wholegrain), fibre-rich foods (such as oats, beans, lentils, fruits, and vegetables), and low-fat options while avoiding fried foods, sugary drinks, confectionery, and high-fat, high-sugar takeaways. Portion control and regular meal patterns, including eating breakfast, are important.
• Promote regular physical activity tailored to individual preferences and circumstances, such as walking, cycling, swimming, or gardening, and encourage integrating activity into daily routines (e.g., taking stairs, walking at lunchtime) while minimizing sedentary behaviours.
• Use behaviour-change techniques including motivational interviewing, goal setting with achievable short- and long-term targets, action planning, coping strategies, and relapse prevention to support sustainable lifestyle changes.
• Provide ongoing, tailored support from trained healthcare professionals, including encouragement to involve family or carers for emotional and practical support.
• Recommend interventions that foster independence and self-management, including self-monitoring of weight and behaviours, and discuss strategies to overcome barriers to maintaining changes.
• Tailor interventions to cultural, social, and individual needs, ensuring accessibility and appropriateness.

These interventions should be part of long-term, multicomponent programmes rather than one-off activities, with regular monitoring and review of progress to support sustained weight maintenance.

References: ¹,²,³