Getting a head start: identifying pretreatment correlates associated with early weight loss for individuals participating in weight loss treatment

Early weight loss is associated with greater weight loss following treatment cessation and years later. The present study aimed to identify pretreatment correlates associated with early weight loss in adults participating in weight-loss treatment in primary care. Participants (N = 89) were in the overweight/obesity range seeking weight-loss treatment in primary-care settings and randomized to one of three treatments: Motivational Interviewing and Internet Condition (MIC), Nutrition Psychoeducation and Internet Condition (NPC), or Usual Care (UC). At baseline, participants were assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview and completed self-report measures of emotional overeating, exercise, exercise self-efficacy, and depression. Percent weight loss at week six was used as the Early Weight Loss variable. MIC/NPC groups had significantly greater Early Weight Loss than UC. Among MIC/NPC participants only, greater Early Weight Loss was associated with significantly lower pretreatment disordered eating and depressive symptoms. Participants in MIC/NPC who achieved clinically meaningful weight loss (>2.5%) by week six compared with those who did not (<2.5%) reported lower pretreatment disordered eating. Demographic factors and binge-eating disorder diagnosis were unrelated to Early Weight Loss. Our findings suggest that greater early weight loss may be associated with less pretreatment disordered eating and depressive symptoms.