Merrier
Fetch error
Hmmm there seems to be a problem fetching this series right now. Last successful fetch was on March 29, 2024 11:12 ()
What now? This series will be checked again in the next day. If you believe it should be working, please verify the publisher's feed link below is valid and includes actual episode links. You can contact support to request the feed be immediately fetched.
Manage episode 406595129 series 3382848
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.
75 Episoden