Thought all Internet-based weight loss programs were a waste of time? Think again. According to a Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research study published in the open access Journal of Medical Internet Research, the more people used an interactive weight management website, the more weight loss they maintained.

The National Institutes of Health-funded study evaluated an Internet-based weight maintenance intervention involving 348 participants. Consistent website users who logged on and recorded their weight at least once a month for 2 ½ years maintained the most weight loss, the study found.

The secret to their success? Consistency and accountability. These are essential in any weight maintenance program, says study lead author Kristine L. Funk, MS, RD, a researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon. “The unique part of this intervention was that it was available on the Internet, whenever and wherever people wanted to use it.”

“This study shows that if people use quality weight management websites consistently, and if they stick with their program, they are more likely to keep their weight off,” said Victor J. Stevens, co-author and senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. As most dieters know, keeping weight off is even more difficult than losing it to begin with, so these sites offer significant value for dieters, not just in terms of keeping weight off naturally, but also for improving their overall health.

Participants had to lose at least nine pounds to remain in the trial for the weight loss maintenance phase, which lasted an additional 2 ½ years and included three groups of randomized participants. One group had no intervention; the other had monthly contact with a personal health coach; and the third group was given unlimited access to a weight-maintenance website created specifically for the trial.

Consistent users who logged in and recorded their weight at least once a month for 24 months maintained the greatest weight loss — keeping off an average of nine of the 19 pounds they’d lost during the initial weight loss phase of the trial. Those who logged on less consistently — at least once a month for 14 months — kept off an average of five pounds. Those who logged on less than that kept off an average of only three pounds of their original weight loss. At the end of the study, 65 percent of the participants were still logging on to the website.

Choosing a Web-based Weight Loss Program
While the study website is no longer available, there are many useful weight management websites you can access as part of your holistic weight loss plan. The study authors recommend you look for these important elements:

• Sites that include tailored or personalized information
• Sites that encourage accountability by asking you to consistently record weight, exercise, and calories consumed
• Sites with interactive features that allow you to communicate with each other and with nutrition and exercise experts
• Sites with accurate health information.

REFERENCES

Eurekalert press release: The More Frequently You Log on, the More Weight You Can Keep off