Recidivism and self-cure of obesity: A test of Schacter's hypothesis in diabetic patients.

: Schacter (1982) suggested that, given a lifetime perspective, a significant number of people "cure" themselves of their obesity. He supported this contention with retrospective self-report data from community residents that reveal that the majority of once-obese study participants are no longer overweight. The current study investigated the weight histories of obese diabetic outpatients. Retrospective self-reports (N = 152) indicated that about one third could be classified as "cured" of their obesity, and an additional 26%, although still obese, weighed 10% less than they had at their maximum. Medical records (N = 219), however, revealed that less than 10% could be considered "cured" and only another 12% "partially cured." Although some support was found for the hypothesized relationship between weight-loss success and time in treatment, it is possible that this reflects a tendency for those initially successful to remain in treatment longer. Finally, maximum weights of at least 30% over ideal were associated with more success, but primarily in achieving a 10% weight loss, not in being "cured" of obesity.