Among obese adults in weight loss therapy, those whose perceived ideal weight is closer to their current weight tend to lose more weight.
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
When people set weight goals that are close to their current weight, they feel less stressed and discouraged, which helps them stick to the diet and exercise plans taught in therapy — this is shown in the study with DOI 10.1556/650.2021.32128.
Most probable mechanism
When a person’s goal weight is close to their current weight, they experience less mental stress about failing to meet unrealistic expectations, which helps them stick to diet and exercise plans more consistently — this is supported by findings in the study with DOI 10.1556/650.2021.32128.
A smaller discrepancy between actual weight and idealized weight targets reduces activation of brain regions associated with cognitive dissonance and self-discrepancy stress, including the anterior cingulate cortex and insula, which lowers psychological distress during behavioral interventions — supported by the cohort study with DOI 10.1556/650.2021.32128.
Reduced psychological distress increases sustained engagement in cognitive behavioral therapy components such as self-monitoring, goal setting, and stimulus control, leading to consistent caloric deficit and weight reduction — supported by the cohort study with DOI 10.1556/650.2021.32128.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Contradicting (0)
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Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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