Telephone counseling and home telemonitoring: the Weigh by Day Trial

To test the effects of telephone counseling and telemonitoring on weight loss.

A randomized-controlled trial was conducted over 18 months. Participants were assigned to an immediate or delayed-start group. The intervention included a Thin-Link((R)) home telemonitoring scale and biweekly telephone counseling over 6 months.

The immediate group lost significantly more weight relative to the delayed group over the first 6 months (-7.5 versus +1.3 pounds) and at subsequent visits.

Compared to no treatment, the intervention was effective at producing weight loss. Home telemonitoring may enhance standard weight-loss counseling.