title: Effectiveness of phone and e-mail lifestyle counseling for long term weight control among overweight employees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of a weight-management program with personal counseling by phone or e-mail.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial of a 6-month program comparing two modes of intervention delivery (phone, n = 462; Internet, n = 464) with self-directed materials (control, n = 460), among overweight employees. Change in body weight after 2 years was the main outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among complete cases, weight loss in the Internet group was 1.2 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.9 to -0.4) and in the phone group 0.8 kg (95% CI, -1.5 to 0.03), compared with the control group. Multiple imputation of missing body weight resulted in comparative weight losses of -0.9 kg (95% CI, -2.0 to 0.3) and -0.4 kg (95% CI, -1.4 to 0.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among complete cases, the Internet intervention showed modest long-term weight loss, but among all participants neither program version was more effective than self-help.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marieke F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: van Wier
authors.forename: J Caroline
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dekkers
authors.forename: Ingrid J M
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Hendriksen
authors.forename: Martijn W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Heymans
authors.forename: Geertje A M
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ariëns
authors.forename: Nico P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Pronk
authors.forename: Tjabe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smid
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Mechelen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult