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Pounds Off Digitally

An Effective Practice

Description

Pounds Off Digitally is a podcasting-based weight loss intervention. With 66.3% of adults in the United States either overweight or obese new weight loss interventions are necessary. Being overweight increases risk of developing many chronic diseases; the main treatments include dietary change, physical activity, and other behavioral modifications. Pounds Off Digitally offers weight loss intervention via a podcast (audio files for a portable music player or computer) has the advantage of being user controlled, easily accessible to those with the internet, and mobile. Over the course of 12 weeks overweight adults with a body mass index (BMI: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) between 25 and 40 kg/m2 receive 24 episodes of a weight loss podcast based on social cognitive theory. The podcast provides expectancies of weight loss, personal accounts of what to expect from trying to lose weight, information on how to lose weight, exercise, and make dietary changes, and ends with a goal to achieve.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the Pounds Off Digitally podcast is increase weight loss among overweight and obese adults.

Results / Accomplishments

Participants receiving the Pounds Off Digitally podcast had a significantly greater decrease in weight (-2.9 ± 3.5 kg) and BMI (-1.0 ± 1.2 kg/m2) than those receiving a standard weight loss podcast (-0.3 ± 2.1 kg and -0.1 ± 0.7 kg/m2). They also reported significantly greater increases in fruit and vegetable consumption and participation in vigorous activity. Individuals receiving the intervention also had significantly greater knowledge regarding weight loss, less cognitive load, and greater user control. Pounds Off Digitally provides a low-cost, easy to disseminate weight-loss intervention.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Primary Contact
Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2217 McGavran-Greenberg Hall
Campus Box 7461
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
brie@unc.edu
http://www.sph.unc.edu/nutr/
Topics
Health / Physical Activity
Organization(s)
Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Source
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Date of publication
Oct 2009
Date of implementation
2007
Location
Raleigh-Durham, NC
For more details
Target Audience
Adults