According to the Cochrane Collaboration online weight-loss programs like Leanness Lifestyle work almost as well as face-to-face interventions, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Traditional weight loss programs use various strategies to help patients with weight problems reduce their caloric intake, boost their activity levels, or both. But cost, logistical challenges, and other factors may limit the availability of such care. To expand access and make weight loss programs more convenient for patients, some institutions have developed interactive online weight loss programs. These may include many of the same components as in-person programs, such as setting goals, keeping diaries of food intake and exercise, and monitoring progress. Often, online chat sessions or message boards are available to enable participants to seek peer support.
Leanness Lifestyle is a perfect example of an online weight-loss program that not only delivers the tools and services described as effective in this research article but goes beyond the basics with cutting-edge software, accountability, motivation and personal support.
The researchers found that online programs produced better results than minimal interventions (such as supplying patients with pamphlets) or no weight loss intervention. The mean weight loss in the control groups in the studies analyzed ranged from 3.5 kg of weight lost to 0.5 kg weight gained after 6 months, while the mean weight lost in the intervention groups was 1.5 kg greater. Weight loss maintenance was better among online program users than those in the minimal or no intervention group. Those in the control groups regained a mean of 0.6 kg to 3.0 kg, while people in the online programs gained 0.8 less on average than those in the control groups.
“The findings of this review demonstrate that computer-based interventions have a positive effect on short-term weight loss and short-term weight loss maintenance,” the authors concluded.