The Healthy Weights Initiative: results from the first 2,000 participants

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographics of first 2,000 Healthy Weights Initiative (HWI) participants who completed the 24-week HWI in Moose Jaw and Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Demographics	(%) (SD)
Gender
Males	21.0
Females	79.0
Age (years)
65+	3.0
55–64	25.0
45–54	26.0
35–44	33.0
26–34	11.0
18–25	2.0
Mean age (years)	43.2 (3.1)
Marital status
Married/common-law	69.0
Single	31.0
Employment
Not employed (includes students)	21.0
Non-professional	56.0
Professional	23.0
Education level
<High school graduate	6.0
High school graduate	38.0
College/tech/trades	40.0
University	16.0
Medical comorbidities (self-reported)
None	19.0
1	41.0
2	22.0
3 or more	18.0

Figure 1 Participant adherence flow chart.

Table 2 Health differences among those who completed Healthy Weights Initiative (HWI) at 24 weeks post-completion (2,000 participants) and 1 year post-completion (1,500 participants)

Physiological changes	Pre-HWI mean (SD)	24 weeks post-HWI mean (SD)	1 year post- HWI mean (SD)	Significance (baseline – 1 year)
Weight (pounds)	241.8 (46.6)	229.1 (43.8)	231.4 (43.6)	0.005
Body mass index, kg/m^2	38.1 (6.8)	36.1 (6.1)	36.9 (6.9)	0.021
Fat (pounds)	105.1 (26.2)	91.5 (26.6)	92.4 (27.2)	0.000
Body fat (%)	49.1 (4.2)	44.1 (4.9)	44.8 (4.8)	0.000
Waist circumference, inch	45.1 (5.6)	42.1 (5.1)	42.9 (5.5)	0.039
Hip circumference, inch	51.6 (6.6)	48.9 (5.9)	49.8 (6.1)	0.031
Systolic blood pressure, mmHG	130.4 (14.2)	125.5 (9.1)	126.5 (9.3)	0.004
Diastolic blood pressure, mmHG	82.7 (11.8)	80.4 (8.7)	82.3 (8.8)	0.059
Blood glucose, mmoL	5.8 (1.9)	5.7 (1.3)	5.8 (1.4)	0.899
Blood cholesterol, mmoL	4.8 (1.2)	4.4 (1.0)	4.4 (1.1)	0.045
CAFT aerobic fitness	122.5 (107.1)	182.0 (115.2)	169.1 (121.3)	0.019
Minutes hard PA/week	42.4 (21.1)	160.0 (63.2)	108.1 (36.6)	0.000
Minutes moderate PA/week	78.6 (31.2)	150.5 (53.1)	145.3 (47.1)	0.000
MSK pain score (average 1–10)	3.9/10 (0.4)	2.1/10 (0.5)	2.1/10 (0.5)	0.009
Health-related quality of life (Short Form-36)	Pre-HWI mean (SD)	24 weeks post- HWI mean (SD)	1 year post- HWI mean (SD)	Significance (baseline – 1 year)
Physical functioning	59.0 (20.1)	72.7 (20.7)	69.3 (20.3)	0.000
Limits – physical	69.9 (30.3)	54.3 (27.1)	57.9 (32.3)	0.000
Pain	67.1 (21.9)	53.9 (17.1)	55.8 (18.1)	0.000
General health	46.8 (18.2)	70.5 (19.0)	68.7 (19.5)	0.000
Vitality	42.1 (16.1)	59.9 (17.3)	58.5 (17.4)	0.000
Social functioning	61.1 (21.7)	78.1 (21.8)	71.1 (21.5)	0.000
Limits – emotional	71.4 (29.8)	50.5 (27.7)	52.1 (27.7)	0.000
Emotional well-being	57.8 (17.2)	77.6 (18.4)	78.2 (19.1)	0.000
Physical composite score	44.7 (8.2)	57.9 (8.1)	57.0 (8.0)	0.000
Mental composite score	48.3 (10.4)	60.2 (8.0)	60.2 (8.1)	0.000
Depressed mood (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]-2)	Pre-HWI mean (SD)	24 weeks post- HWI mean (SD)	1 year post- HWI mean (SD)	Significance (baseline – 1 year)
BDI-2 score – mean (SD)	11.7 (7.3)	4.3 (3.1)	4.5 (3.7)	0.000
	Pre-HWI	HWI 24 weeks	HWI 1 year
Severe/extreme (31+)	2.0%	3.0%	2.0%
Moderate (21–30)	9.0%	4.0%	4.0%
Borderline (17–20)	15.0%	5.0%	6.0%
Mild (11–16)	23.0%	2.0%	7.0%
No depressed mood	51.0%	87.0%	81.0%
Depressed mood (11+)	49.0%	13.0%	19.0%
Self-reported health (Canadian Comprehensive Health Survey [CCHS])	Pre-HWI (%)	HWI 24 weeks (%)	HWI 1 year (%)	0.000
Poor	19.0%	3.0%	7.0%
Fair	41.0%	16.0%	23.0%
Good	29.0%	52.0%	41.0%
Very good/excellent	11.0%	29.0%	29.0%
Self-reported mental health (CCHS)	Pre-HWI (%)	HWI 24 weeks (%)	HWI 1 year (%)	0.000
Poor	11.0%	4.0%	5.0%
Fair	23.0%	9.0%	14.0%
Good	39.0%	41.0%	39.0%
Very good/excellent	27.0%	46.0%	42.0%
Self-reported health care utilization (CCHS)	Pre-HWI	HWI 24 weeks	HWI 1 year
Doctor visits (mean, SD)	1.7 (0.3)	0.9 (0.4)	0.9 (0.4)	0.004
Hospitalizations	(%)	(%)	(%)	0.040
0	69.0%	90.0%	85.0%
1	16.0%	5.0%	13.0%
2	12.0%	5.0%	1.0%
3 or more	3.0%	0.0%	1.0%
Medications (mean, SD)	1.8 (0.4)	1.0 (032)	1.0 (0.3)	0.049
Self-reported smoking (CCHS)	Pre-HWI	HWI 24 weeks	HWI 1 year	0.000
Daily smoker	19.0%	9.0%	8.0%
Self-reported dietary behaviors (consumption per day – CCHS)	Pre-HWI mean (SD)	24 weeks post- HWI mean (SD)	1 year post- HWI mean (SD)	Significance (baseline – 1 year)
Meat	1.3 (0.7)	1.3 (0.7)	1.3 (0.7)	0.079
Fruit	1.2 (0.9)	2.3 (1.0)	2.5 (1.1)	0.000
Vegetables	1.7 (1.1)	2.4 (1.0)	2.9 (1.1)	0.000
Milk	0.7 (1.0)	0.8 (1.0)	0.8 (1.0)	0.081
Soft drinks	0.9 (1.1)	0.2 (0.6)	0.2 (0.6)	0.000
Fast food	1.7 (1.0)	0.7 (0.9)	0.4 (0.5)	0.000

Abbreviations: CAFT, Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test; PA, physical activity; SK, musculoskeletal.