Dieting Online
Can your computer be a weight-loss tool?
With a cache of online body mass index (BMI) calculators, calorie counters, food logs, physical activity trackers, peer-to-peer and professional support options, as well as comprehensive interactive weight-loss programs, the Internet (also known as the World Wide Web) offers enough dieting and fitness tools to stand for the “World Weight-Loss Web.” But, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to weight loss online or offline, and researchers are just beginning to study Internet-based tools meant to help people reach their weight loss and fitness goals.
Research suggests that computer weight-loss tools work when they get personal – people in one study who received e-mail counseling in addition to using the online plan lost an average of 9.7 pounds over a year, while the Internet-only group lost an average of 4.4 pounds. However, another study found that dieters who used only Internet support regained an average of nearly five pounds during the first six months of maintenance, whereas those who met in person with a group therapist, on average, did not regain any weight.
