Energy balance
A peer-supported, WhatsApp-assisted lifestyle modification intervention significantly reduces daily calorie intake and leads to modest weight loss in adults with overweight/obesity in low-resource urban settings.
To lose weight in a resource-limited setting, focus on reducing daily calorie intake by approximately 386 kcal through portion control and healthier food choices. Use a peer-support model where a family member helps you stay accountable via regular check-ins (e.g., WhatsApp). While physical activity is beneficial, this study suggests that dietary changes were the primary driver of the observed weight loss (2.2 kg over 1 year). Consistency through monthly reviews and peer encouragement is key to maintaining these habits.
The mean weight loss at 1 year was 2.2 kg, and the reduction in mean calorie intake was 386 kcal/day.
Why this rating
Single-group pretest-posttest design without a control group limits causal inference regarding the intervention's specific efficacy versus natural variation or regression to the mean.
Source
Feasibility of a peer-supported, WhatsApp-assisted, lifestyle modification intervention for weight reduction among adults in an urban slum of Karachi, Pakistan: a mixed-methods, single-group, pretest–post-test, quasi-experimental study
Sabahat Naz et al. · BMJ Open · 2023
DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070913
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