Evaluation of an 8-week mailed healthy-weight intervention

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the impact of a low-intensity, healthy-weight intervention among adult volunteers in a low-income, inner-city neighborhood. The intervention, which comprised 18 pamphlets mailed to participants' homes over 8 weeks, focused on increasing awareness of healthy weight ranges, increasing self-acceptance and satisfaction with weight, and improving eating habits, while downplaying dieting and weight loss.

Methods: Subjects were recruited from households randomly selected from residential telephone subscriber lists. The 188 volunteers (23.0% of 816 persons contacted) were randomly assigned to intervention or control status. Psychosocial and behavioral measures were administered by telephone 1 week before and 2 weeks after the intervention.

Results: After exposure to the pamphlets, intervention subjects were more likely than controls to know how to control their weight. They were more satisfied with their weight and less likely to report they were too heavy. They reported less high-fat/junk food consumption, more improvements in their eating habits, and more frequent exercise.

Conclusion: This inexpensive, low-intensity intervention was effective in supporting change processes among volunteers who wanted to learn about weight control, to improve eating habits, and to improve health.