E-mail contact as an effective strategy in the maintenance of weight loss in adults.
BACKGROUND
Professional face-to-face contact is known to be beneficial in effective weight management, but costly, in supporting weight maintenance. Within the UK, studies have examined using the Internet to achieve weight loss; however, there is a need to evaluate the use of dietetic intervention via e-mail to support the maintenance of weight loss in a National Health Service (NHS) setting. The present study aimed to assess the effects of dietetic support through e-mail on weight loss maintenance on individuals who were successful in weight loss.


METHODS
Fifty-five patients, who had lost ≥5% body weight, were assigned to either an intervention group (weekly e-mail messages and monthly personal e-mail message with reporting of weight, n = 28) or a control group (n = 27). The level of weight maintenance, plus dietary changes and the ability to maintain a level of activity, were recorded after 6 months.


RESULTS
At 6 months, the e-mail group maintained an average weight loss of 10%, which was significantly (P = 0.05) greater than the mean percentage weight loss maintained by the control group (7.3%). The control group regained weight at a statistically significant greater velocity (P = 0.02) than the intervention group. There were correlations between the amount of fruits and vegetables (P = 0.07) eaten and exercise episodes (P = 0.01) against weight change in maintenance.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study showed that dietetic support using e-mail can be used effectively in reducing weight gain velocity and assisting in the maintenance of weight loss. It is a system that can be used in the UK NHS to reach many people.
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Portsmouth Hospitals, Portsmouth, UK. denise.thomas@porthosp.nhs.uk
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D004046:Dietetics / Q000379:methods*; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult