EFFECT OF PEER-SUPPORTED GROUP COUNSELLING ON MOTIVATION AND ADHERENCE TO WEIGHT REDUCTION STRATEGIES

Background: Obesity is a global public health concern that requires sustainable lifestyle modification strategies. Motivation and adherence are key determinants of weight-loss success, yet many individuals struggle to maintain behavior change. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a single peer-supported group counselling session on motivation and adherence to diet and physical activity among obese adults in selected community areas of Sri Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post control group design was employed among 60 obese adults (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) recruited by purposive sampling. Participants were equally divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received one 90-minute peer-supported Counselling session focusing on obesity education, goal-setting, peer sharing, and self-monitoring’ planning. Motivation was measured using the Weight Loss Motivation Questionnaire (WLMQ), and adherence was recorded through self-reported diet and activity logs at baseline and one-week follow-up. Results: The intervention group showed a significant increase in mean motivation scores (58.7 ± 9.8 to 71.6 ± 8.9; p<0.001) compared with a non-significant change in the control group (57.4 ± 9.3 to 59.5 ± 9.0; p=0.23). Diet adherence improved by +25.9% and physical activity adherence by +23.9% in the intervention group versus +9.2% and +9.0% respectively in controls (p<0.001 for both comparisons). Conclusion: A single peer-supported group counselling session significantly improved motivation and short-term adherence to weight-reduction strategies among obese adults. Incorporating brief peer-supported interventions into community health programs may be an effective, scalable approach to initiating lifestyle modification for obesity prevention and management.