Merrier

UF Health Podcasts

It’s beginning to sound like a broken record, but the United States has a problem with obesity.

Almost half of adults over the age of 20 live with the disease, which also comes in as the country’s second-leading cause of preventable death. Only smoking cigarettes carry more health risk. Obesity brings a slew of other health problems, like a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke or heart disease.

Even worse, losing weight is hard. There’s a reason so many diets, fitness programs and apps are marketed for those trying to make a lifestyle change. Now, a new study from the University of Missouri has delved into what makes an online weight loss program successful.

The secret? Don’t go it alone. Researchers found that apps that engaged users with professional health coaches and social support from others were two of the most helpful features of online weight-loss programs.

The study distilled 20 years of research, paring down which features stood out as most helpful. Three common approaches for weight-loss apps were those that simply gave information, those with an online group-chat function and those that offered a professional health coach.

As it turned out, the apps that gave users access to social support from peers or professional health coaches were just as effective as in-person weight loss programs. That’s especially notable for rural populations and places where public transportation is hard to come by.

Now, no one is saying an app will work for everyone, or that it will make losing weight easy — but it’s certainly easier if you don’t go it alone.