O NWCR foi criado em 1994, nos Estados Unidos da América, sendo o maior estudo sobre manutenção do peso perdido a longo prazo.

www.nwcr.ws - site do National Weight Control Registry, registo americano de controlo do peso.

O número de participantes ultrapassa os 5000 indivíduos, que perderam uma quantidade significativa de peso e conseguiram mantê-lo por longos períodos de tempo.

O impacto desta investigação na sociedade tem sido elevado e os resultados deste estudo têm sido divulgados em muitos jornais, revistas e televisões de âmbito nacional, como por exemplo: USA Today,  Oprah Magazine,  The Washington Post, Good Morning America.

Para além deste mediatismo junto da opinião pública, o NWCR tem sido um estudo muitas vezes citado na comunidade científica, existindo vários artigos publicados com base neste projecto. Indicam-se alguns, como exemplo:

 Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., McGuire, M.T., Seagle, H.M., & Hill, J.O. A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1997, 66, 239-246.

Shick, S.M., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., McGuire, M.T., Hill, J.O., & Seagle, H. Persons successful at long-term weight loss and maintenance continue to consume a low calorie, low fat diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 1998, 98, 408-413.

McGuire, M.T., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., Seagle, H.M., & Hill, J.O. Long-term maintenance of weight loss: Do people who lose weight through various weight loss methods use different behaviors to maintain their weight? International Journal of Obesity, 1998, 22, 572-577.

Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., McGuire, M.T., Seagle, H.M., & Hill, J.O. Psychological symptoms in individuals successful at long-term maintenance of weight loss. Health Psychology, 1998, 17, 336-345.

Wyatt H.R., Grunwald G.K., Seagle H.M., Klem M.L., McGuire M.T., Wing R.R. and Hill J.O. (1999). Resting energy expenditure in reduced-obese subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69, 1189-1193.

McGuire, M.T., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., Lang, W., and Hill, J.O. What predicts weight regain among a group of successful weight losers? (1999). Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 67, 177-185.

Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., Chang, C.H., Lang, W., McGuire, M.T., Sugerman, H.J., Hutchison, S.L., Makovich, A.L., and Hill, J.O. (2000). A case-control study of successful maintenance of a substantial weight loss: Individuals who lost weight through surgery versus those who lost weight through non-surgical means. International Journal of Obesity, 24: 573-579.

Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., Lang, W., McGuire, M.T., and Hill, J.O. (2000). Does weight loss maintenance become easier over time? Obesity Research, 8: 438-444.

Wyatt HR, Grunwald OK, Mosca CL, Klem ML, Wing RR, Hill JO (2002). Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity Research; 10:78-82.

Gorin AA, Phelan S, Wing RR, Hill JO. Promoting long-term weight control: does dieting consistency matter? International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 2004 Feb; 28(2):278-81.

Raynor, H., Wing, R.R., Phelan, S. (2005) Amount of food group variety consumed in the diet and long-term weight loss maintenance. Obesity Research, May;13(5):883-890.

Gorin, A., Phelan, S., Hill J., Wing, R.R. (2004) Medical triggers are associated with better short- and long-term weight loss outcomes. Preventive Medicine, Sep;39(3):612-16.

Phelan, S., Wing, R.R., Hill, J., Dibello, J. (2003). Recovery from relapse among successful weight maintainers. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78(6):1079-1084.

Phelan, S., Wyatt, H., Hill, J., Wing, R.R. (2006) Are the Eating and Exercise Habits of Successful Weight Losers Changing? Obesity Research, April;14(4):710-716.

Raynor, D., Phelan, S., Hill, J., Wing, R.R. (2006) Television Viewing and Long-Term Weight Maintenance: Results from the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity Research, Oct;14(10):1816-1824.