Racial differences in physical activity engagement, barriers, and enjoyment during weight loss.

Objective: Aiming to identify potential intervention targets to achieve more equitable outcomes from behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs, the current study examined whether Black and White individuals experienced similar increases in physical activity (PA) engagement, perceived PA barriers, and PA enjoyment during an 18-month BWL program.

Method: Adults ( = 290) enrolled in an 18-month BWL program from 2014 to 2016 completed accelerometer-based measurements of moderate-to-vigorous PA and self-reported measures of PA barriers and enjoyment at months 0, 6, 12, and 18.

Results: Black participants had significantly fewer minutes of PA than White participants at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months.

Perceived importance of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity as a weight control strategy in behavioral weight loss.

Background: Previous research has established the importance of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for weight control. One area of unexplored investigation is the relationship between individuals' perceptions of the importance of MVPA for weight control and MVPA engagement. This study examined the associations between the perceived importance of MVPA and MVPA engagement, weight loss, barriers to PA, and exercise enjoyment in adults enrolled in a long-term behavioral weight loss (BWL) intervention.

Understanding the relationship between subclinical depressive symptoms and physical activity in behavioral weight loss treatment.

Introduction: Many adults with overweight or obesity experience subclinical symptoms of depression, but little is known about how such symptoms are associated with physical activity (PA) or the experience of PA during behavioral weight loss (BWL) treatment.

Methods: In the current study, adults recruited from the community (N = 320) received 18 months of group-based BWL treatment and wore accelerometers at months 0, 6, and 18 to objectively measure PA. Participants with a mood disorder that was not well controlled were not eligible for the study and were referred for individual treatment.