Statistical analysis
Group differences were analyzed using intention-to-treat methods. Repeatedmeasures models compared groups regarding changes in weight, waist circumference, HbA^sub 1c^., and use of medications. F tests were used to make overall comparisons. Contrasts were used to make comparisons between groups at specific follow-up times. Repeated-measures models used REML estimation, an unstructured covariance matrix, and the Kenward-Roger approximation to the degrees of freedom. The repeated-measures models used all the available data on subjects, including those who dropped out of the study or had intermittently missing data. Regression models were used to compare 12-month HRQOL between groups.