Source: UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT submitted to NRP
INTERNET WEIGHT LOSS: STAND-ALONE INTERVENTION OR ADJUNCT TO TRADITIONAL BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0194087
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2002
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2006
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
(N/A)
BURLINGTON,VT 05405
Performing Department
NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES
Non Technical Summary
Obesity is a significant public health problem. This project examines the effectiveness of treating obesity using the Internet.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
70360103020100%
Knowledge Area
703 - Nutrition Education and Behavior;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
To determine if Internet supported weight loss is more effective with limited in-person support versus Internet intervention alone.
Project Methods
Randomized clinical trial. One group will receive a 12 month behavioral weight control intervention conducted over the Internet. The other group will receive the same intervention with monthly in-person support meetings.

Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/06

Outputs
The purpose of this project was to determine if weight loss acheieved by participating in an on-line behavioral intervention could be improved with periodic in-person support. The results of the study found that participants in the on-line only program lost about 20 pounds over six months and there was no benefit to adding periodic in-person support. These results suggest that the Internet is a viable vehicle for delivery of an intensive behavioral intervention.

Impacts
Currently almost 70% of the US population is overweight or obese. Effective interventions are expensive, intensive and not widely available. The use of the Internet to deliver these interventions can create an effective dissemination vehichle to facilitate obesity treatment for those who may not have previously had access.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05

Outputs
The results indicated that the Internet was a viable vehicle for delivering obesity treatment interventions. Periodic in-person support was not more effective than the Internet alone for producing clinically significant weight loss.

Impacts
Understanding how to disseminate high-quality obesity treatment interventions could have a major public health impact on the obesity epidemic

Publications

  • Gold, EC., Burke, S., Buzzell, P., Pintauro, S., Harvey-Berino, J. Weight loss on the web: A pilot study comparing a commercial website to a structured online behavioral intervention. Obesity Research (2004)12, A24
  • Micco, M., Gold, EC., Buzzell, P., Pintauro, S., Harvey-Berino, J. Internet weight loss: Stand-alone intervention or adjunct to traditional behavioral treatment? Obesity Research (2004)12, A24


Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04

Outputs
One hundred and eighty subjects have been recruited to participate in this study. Data collection and the intervention are ongoing.

Impacts
Understanding how to disseminate high-quality obesity treatment interventions could have a major public health impact on the obesity epidemic.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
One hundred and fifty subjects have been entered into the study. Recruitment is currently on-going for the last group of subjects.

Impacts
Understanding how to disseminate high-quality obesity treatment interventions could have a major public health impact on the obesity epidemic.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period