Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that measured weight and HrQoL at two or more time points were eligible for inclusion. The included studies ranged from 6 weeks to 48 months in duration. One of the included studies was a non-randomised controlled trial with matched controls.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of interventions designed to achieve weight loss were eligible for inclusion. The included studies assessed the effects of behavioural inventions (22 studies), pharmacological treatments (7 studies), surgical techniques (4 studies) and somatic moxibustion acupuncture (1 study).
Participants included in the review
Studies of participants aged under 18 years only were excluded, as were studies that focused on pregnancy-related obesity or gestational diabetes.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies using generic or specific measures of HrQoL outcomes were eligible. The most commonly used generic measure was the SF-36 (6 studies), while the most frequently used condition-specific measure was the Beck Depression Inventory (10 studies).
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
More than one of the authors selected the papers for inclusion, although it was unclear whether this was done independently and how any disagreements might have been resolved.