ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare weight regain, satisfaction, and convenience among three weight maintenance programs: telehealth, traditional classes, and no program. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This quasi-experimental study compared weight change, satisfaction, and convenience among three program types. The telehealth participants interacted with a registered dietitian (RD) through the web and e-mail, traditional program participants attended a traditional classroom program, and no program participants received no interaction. Eighty-seven subjects (14 men and 73 women) were enrolled in the study: 31 traditional, 31 telehealth, and 25 no program participants. Eligibility included participation in a community-based weight loss program (Colorado Weigh) and minimum 7% weight loss before enrollment. RESULTS: Subject characteristics at baseline were as follows: age, 50 +/- 9.3 (standard deviation) years; height, 1.68 +/- 0.09 m; weight, 80.5 +/- 18.4 kg, with no significant differences between groups. Over 6 months, the traditional group lost 0.5 +/- 4.3 kg, the telehealth group lost 0.6 +/- 2.5 kg, and the no program group gained 1.7 +/- 3.0 kg. Weight change among all three groups was significant (p = 0.02); no program participants gained significantly more weight than the telehealth and traditional groups. There were no differences in overall satisfaction between the telehealth and traditional groups (p = 0.43), but individuals in the telehealth group rated their program as more convenient compared with the traditional group (p = 0.0001). DISCUSSION: These results show the usefulness of telehealth programs in long-term weight loss maintenance. They may be a useful alternative for those who successfully lose weight in a structured behavioral program but do not choose to participate in a formal behavioral weight loss maintenance program.
Subject(s)
Obesity/physiopathology , Patient Education as Topic/methods , Patient Participation , Telemedicine , Weight Loss/physiology , Adult , Colorado , Female , Humans , Internet , Male , Middle Aged , Obesity/therapy , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Patient Satisfaction , Weight Gain/physiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Preventing weight gain in adults and excessive weight gain in children is a high priority. We evaluated the ability of a family-based program aimed at increasing steps and cereal consumption (for breakfast and snacks) to reduce weight gain in children and adults. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Families (n = 105) with at least one 8- to 12-year-old child who was at-risk-for-overweight or overweight (designated as the target child) were recruited for the study. Eighty-two families were randomly assigned to receive the family-based intervention and 23 families to the control condition. The 13-week intervention consisted of specific increases in daily steps (an additional 2000 steps/d) and consumption of 2 servings/d of ready-to-eat cereal. RESULTS: The intervention was successful in increasing walking (steps) and cereal consumption. The intervention had positive, significant effects on percentage BMI-for-age and percentage body fat for target children and weight, BMI, and percentage body fat for parents. On further analysis, the positive effects of the intervention were seen largely in target girls and moms, rather than in target boys and dads. DISCUSSION: This family-based weight gain prevention program based on small changes holds promise for reducing excessive weight gain in families and especially in growing overweight children.
