By Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE eDiets Chief Nutritionist
| Dieting Online - It Does Work!
| Online Diets Pros and Cons
| Online Diets Support and Motivation: A Winning Combination
| Online Diets - Ongoing Research
Ongoing Research
Research shows that the internet is a good option for weight loss programs. Deborah Tate and her colleagues were the first to look at the internet as a method for weight loss, and have published two studies that show the internet as a viable option. The first, in the March 7, 2001, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that participants in a behavioral therapy group that used the web for weekly lessons plus self-monitoring diaries and individualized feedback did better than those who only used the online lesson plans, without feedback. The second study, published in the April 9, 2003 JAMA edition compared a basic internet program with one that provided individualized counseling via email, and showed that the participants receiving personalized counseling did better than those who were strictly self-help. As a result of this study, we enhanced our messaging to members, reminding them to weigh in weekly and to get involved with the community.
Jean Harvey-Berino and her colleagues at the University of Vermont have studied online weight programs, and published a study in the December 2004 issue of Obesity Research that showed that weight maintenance was equally as successful on the internet as face-to-face. Our own participation in a study that the University of Vermont team presented as an abstract at the 2004 North American Association for the Study of Obesity showed that eDiets members achieved decent weight loss, but that people who used an online program plus weekly meetings and personalized counseling did better. We encourage our members to make the community a part of their life, and to check in weekly with our nutrition support team: the more you use it, the more you will lose.
Weight loss is a complicated affair. I think that studying people who are given the program may not feel as committed to those who purchase it, and there is a certain level of commitment necessary for weight loss to be successful. Even face-to-face won’t work if you leave your meeting or counseling session with your dietitian or therapist and stop for a Whopper on the way home.
Our own internal research shows that people who log on most frequently, who weigh in weekly and get involved in the eDiets community stay with us longest, and lose more weight compared to those who are less consistent about weighing in, and don’t utilize the community. The goal for eDiets and other commercial weight loss websites is to attempt to duplicate the enhanced personalization and structure that research shows brings the greatest success to dieters. Is it feasible? We know it is! And we’re working on developing new programs that incorporate all the best of online and offline programs. Stay tuned throughout 2006 for more incredible developments at eDiets.com.
eDiets Chief Nutritionist Susan L. Burke, M.S., R.D., L.D., CDE is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator who specializes in both general and diabetes-related weight management.
