Long-term weight loss maintenance after inpatient psychotherapy of severely obese patients based on a randomized study: predictors and maintaining factors of health behavior.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to identify predictors of long-term weight loss after inpatient psychodynamic or behavioral psychotherapy of severely obese patients. Methods In a longitudinal study, obese patients [body mass index (BMI)≥35 kg/m2] were randomly assigned to behavioral or psychodynamic inpatient treatment. The average treatment duration was 7 weeks. Two hundred sixty-seven obese patients, mostly female (85%), with psychiatric and somatic comorbidity (age, 20–64 years; BMI=35–74 kg/m2) were examined with standardized self-report scales at intake, discharge, 1-year follow-up, and 3-year follow-up. Results Overall, 3 years after inpatient psychotherapy, irrespe…