Adherence
Adding structured, dietitian-led nutrition education group sessions to internet-based wellness information and exercise access provides a short-term (3-month) weight loss advantage in overweight women, but this advantage disappears by 6 months if session frequency is reduced to monthly.
If you are using a workplace wellness program, do not skip the in-person or live coaching sessions, especially in the first three months. The study shows that the 'extra' help from a dietitian and group accountability provides a significant head start (an extra 1.2 kg of weight loss at 3 months). However, if your program switches you to monthly check-ins after 3 months, expect your results to plateau to the same level as people who just use the website alone. To keep losing weight, you likely need to maintain higher engagement (weekly sessions) or find ways to self-monitor intensely if you cannot attend weekly.
WI + GS subjects lost more weight than WI subjects at 3 months... Weight... and fat mass... loss at 6 months was significant for WI + GS and WI groups... but without significant difference between groups
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a large, racially diverse sample (n=199), though the primary long-term outcome was null.
Source
Randomized trial of nutrition education added to internet-based information and exercise at the work place for weight loss in a racially diverse population of overweight women
Andrea Carnie et al. · Nutrition and Diabetes · 2013
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