Advice on weight problems over the phone

Phone or internet counseling can help control weight in obese people, according to a new Dutch study.

The study compared telephone and e-mail counseling with conventional methods at 1400 workers. The study was led by Willem Van Mechelen of the Faculty of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Academy of the Medical University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Netherlands Health Research and Development Organization, Dutch Heart Foundation and Body @ Work TNO-VUmc funded the study.

Obesity rates are rising high on a global scale. However, only a few receive the help of weight control programs, the reason for this phenomenon is still unclear. The face-to-face counseling of these programs makes patients often go to treatment facilities, and not in line with this busy lifestyle. In such cases, counseling by phone or internet is an effective solution. Phone counseling trials for weight loss programs show mixed results, while tests for e-mail counseling give encouraging results. The use of both types of advice has not yet been evaluated.

The study evaluated the impact of the biweekly counseling program via telephone or internet for the purpose of weight loss and moderate diet in workers who weighed after 6 months.

Obesity rates are rising high on a global scale. (Photo: didelet.com)

The study participants, each with a BMI greater than 25 (considered to be overweight), are employees of 7 companies. They were divided into 3 groups: the control group, receiving documents in the form of documents, a group that was consulted by phone and another group participating in the interactive program and being consulted via email. All participants, including the control group, received information about self-effort and the importance of physical training and moderate eating. People who are counseled via the internet and telephone are encouraged to put physical activities into their daily routine, such as walking to lunch, and eating well. These measures are implemented within 6 months.

Researchers assessed each person's body weight and each received a questionnaire about absorbed food, physical activity and waistline. These reviews are repeated again after 6 months.

Overall, all groups had significant weight loss and reduced fat intake, but those in the telephone counseling group lost weight and improved in the diet the most . There is no big difference between the phone and internet groups, and both groups lose more weight. People in the telephone counseling group also have more physical activity.

The authors concluded that phone and email advice is very effective in weight control. According to Van Mechelen: 'This can improve weight control programs for people who do not want face-to-face counseling. Future studies should evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these plans'.

Refer:

Marieke F Van Wier, Geertje AM Ariëns, J Caroline Dekkers, Ingrid JM Hendriksen, Tjabe Smid and Willem Van Mechelen.Counseling phone and e-mail are effective for weight management in an overweight working population: a randomized controlled trial.BMC Public Health, (in press)