Weight Loss and Long-Term Weight Trajectories After a Structured Nutritional and Behavioral Intervention: A Large Real-World Cohort Study
Background/Objectives: Achieving and maintaining intentional weight loss is a major challenge in routine clinical practice, and real-world evidence is limited. Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated initial weight loss in 56,093 adults from a total of 126,659 who commenced the French RNPC program between 2013 and 2025, and subsequent weight trajectories in 2395 participants with 4-year follow-up data. The intervention combined an energy-restricted, protein-enriched, low-glycemic-load diet with individualized dietary and behavioral support, followed by progressive food reintroduction and optional long-term follow-up. Results: During the weight-loss phase (median, 4.6 months), median body weight decreased by 11.0 kg (12.7%) and waist circumference by 12.0 cm (11.8%), while lean mass percentage increased by 1.3 percentage points. At 4 years, among the 2395 participants with available follow-up data, median weight remained 7.8 kg (9.1%) and waist circumference 10.0 cm (9.8%) below baseline. Longitudinal mixed-effects models using all available repeated measurements showed similar patterns in weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, waist-to-height ratio, and relative fat mass at 4 years. Conclusions: These findings show substantial initial weight loss and long-term maintenance of clinically meaningful reductions in weight and waist circumference among participants with 4-year follow-up data after a structured nutritional and behavioral intervention in routine clinical practice.
Authors
- Sébastien Bailly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2179-4650)
- Michael E. J. Lean (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2216-0083)
- Rémy Legrand
- Odile Fabre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0892-8412)
- Laurent Pantagis
- Susan Ann Jebb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9190-2920)
- Arne Astrup (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8968-8996)
- Luc F. Van Gaal
Institutions
- Inserm (FR)
- Frederiksberg Hospital (DK)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Antwerp University Hospital (BE)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nutrients
- Published
- 2026-10-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18203364
- Primary Topic
- Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00