[gmadsen]

having the understanding of the science and self motivated enough to make lifestyle changes already puts you a couple standard deviations out of the population average, such that I don't really think its helpful as a comparison or something to model after

[vidarh]

The science is clear that people who do make changes and achieve initial results are still overwhelmingly likely to fail at maintaining the results.

Lots of people successfully make changes and lose weight, but exceedingly few manage to keep it low over time.

[gmadsen]

you are misunderstanding my point. There is a selection bias. Those with the reading comprehension and scientific aptitude to make a statement like "the science is clear" with accuracy and confidence is already exceedingly rare.

My assertion is that the success of long term weight changes is not independent from that variable.

[vidarh]

That's an assertion there is to my knowledge no evidence for.

There's no evidence to suggest that reading comprehension or scientific aptitude has any link whatsoever to ability to maintain the willpower to stick to a diet. It seems distinctly non-obvious to think it would matter.

And all the evidence is that diets works soo poorly that the effect would need to be astronomical for it to counter-act just how unlikely they are to effect lasting change.