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Weight loss in Weight Watchers Online with and without an activity tracking device compared to control: A randomized trial
Author(s) -
Thomas J. Graham,
Raynor Hollie A.,
Bond Dale S.,
Luke Anna K.,
Cardoso Chelsi C.,
Foster Gary D.,
Wing Rena R.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.21846
Subject(s) - weight loss , medicine , confidence interval , randomized controlled trial , body weight , physical activity , zoology , weight control , demography , physical therapy , obesity , biology , sociology
Objective To evaluate a commercial online weight loss program and activity tracker, which are popular but have unknown efficacy. Methods Two hundred seventy‐nine participants with BMI 27 to 40 kg/m 2 were randomized to 12 months of the Weight Watchers Online program alone (WWO) or with the ActiveLink ® activity tracking device (WWO+AL) or an online newsletter (Control). Results Weight losses at 3 months were significantly greater in WWO (2.7 kg [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.0‐3.5 kg] than Control (1.3 kg [95% CI, 0.5‐2.0 kg]; P = 0.01); neither differed from WWO+AL (2.0 kg [95% CI, 1.3‐2.7 kg]; P s > 0.56). Significantly more WWO participants (24.5%) achieved ≥ 5% weight loss at 3 months than Control (9.4%) ( P = 0.01); neither differed from WWO+AL (17.6%) ( Ps = 0.13‐0.28). At 12 months, there were no significant differences between groups in weight loss ( P s > 0.52). WWO (25.5%) continued to have a higher proportion of participants achieving ≥ 5% weight loss than Control (12.9%) ( P = 0.04); neither differed from WWO+AL (14.3%) ( P s > 0.10). There were no significant between‐group differences in change in physical activity ( P s > 0.17). Conclusions WWO produced significantly more weight loss at 3 months relative to Control, but not at 12 months. Significantly more WWO than Control participants lost ≥ 5% at both 3 and 12 months. Participants receiving an activity tracking device did not achieve greater weight loss or physical activity increases than those in a Control condition.