title: One-Year Weight Loss with a Telephone-Based Lifestyle Program.
abstract: Telephone-based weight loss programs are offered as an alternative to face-to-face obesity treatments, but data on the effectiveness regarding weight loss are limited. Therefore, we evaluated a telephone-based lifestyle program in a real-world setting.
  
  
  
  The telephone-based intervention consists of regular phone calls providing individualized lifestyle recommendations, and delivery of printed materials. Anthropometric and metabolic data are collected by general practitioners or are self-reported.
  
  
  
  Baseline data were available from 398 participants (61% men; weight 103.12 ± 14.21 kg; BMI 33.38 ± 2.83 kg/m2) and 1-year data from 258 (65%) participants. In the completers, mean weight change was -4.25 ± 5.18 kg (p < 0.001) which corresponds to a mean percentage body weight change of -4.10 ± 4.88%. 87 participants (34%) lost more than 5% of their initial body weight, with 29 (11%) losing more than 10% of their initial body weight. 40 participants (16%) gained weight over this period. A reduction of abdominal girth of -0.59 cm (95% CI 0.34, 0.85 cm; p < 0.001) and total cholesterol of -1.55 mg/dl (95% CI 0.04, 3.05 mg/dl; p = 0.044) per kilogram weight loss was observed.
  
  
  
  The telephone-based lifestyle program results in a moderate weight loss after 12 months, which may be comparable to face-to-face interventions. Telephone-based weight loss support is independent of time and location and represents a tool which is also accepted by men.
authors.affiliation: Else Kroener-Fresenius Center for Nutritional Medicine, Technische Universität München, University Hospital 'Klinikum rechts der Isar', Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holzapfel
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merl
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stecher
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hauner
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D000071252:Mentoring / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*