Behavioral and Psychological Factors Affecting Weight Loss Success

Purpose of ReviewThere is a large variability between individuals in the weight loss response to any given diet treatment, which fuels interest into personalized or precision nutrition. Although most efforts are directed toward identifying biological or metabolic factors, several behavioral and psychological factors can also be responsible for some of this interindividual variability.Recent FindingsThere are many factors that can influence the response to dietary weight loss interventions, including factors related to eating behavior (emotional eating, disinhibition, restraint, perceived stress), behaviors and societal norms related to age and sex, psychological and personal factors (motivation, self-efficacy, locus of control, self-concept), and major life events.The success of a weight loss intervention can be influenced by many psychological and behavioral constructs and not merely by physiological factors such as biology and genetics. These factors are difficult to capture accurately and are often overlooked. Future weight loss studies should consider assessing such factors to better understand the underlying reasons for the large interindividual variability to weight loss therapy.

Automated summary

There are various factors, both biological and behavioral, that contribute to the individual variability in weight loss response. These factors include eating behavior, societal norms, psychological and personal factors, and major life events. Future research should consider assessing these factors to better understand the underlying reasons for the variability in weight loss therapy.