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Testing an Internet-Based Turkish Obesity Behavioral Therapy Program: A Randomized Study
Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi = Turkish Journal of Psychiatry
|June 29, 2020
Summary
A new internet-based Turkish obesity behavioral therapy program led to significantly greater weight loss compared to email education. This digital approach offers a promising, low-cost solution for obesity management.
Area of Science:
- Obesity research
- Behavioral medicine
- Digital health interventions
Background:
- Behavioral treatment is the primary recommendation for obesity prevention.
- Internet-based programs offer a scalable, low-cost method for delivering cognitive behavioral therapy.
- There was a need for a Turkish internet-based behavioral therapy program for obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop the first internet-based Turkish obesity behavioral therapy program.
- To evaluate the short-term effectiveness of this novel digital intervention.
Main Methods:
- An 8-week randomized study compared an Internet Behavior Therapy (IBT) program with email education (EE).
- 101 overweight participants (BMI 25-40) were randomized to IBT (n=51) or EE (n=50).
- IBT included videos and a self-monitoring platform; EE provided weekly educational emails.
Main Results:
- The IBT group achieved significantly greater mean weight loss (2.28 kg) than the EE group (0.74 kg) (p=0.001).
- A higher percentage of IBT participants reached a clinically significant 5% weight loss (17.6% vs. 2%, p=0.016).
Conclusions:
- Structured internet-based behavioral therapy resulted in significantly more weight loss than informational emails.
- Internet-based behavioral therapy programs show potential as cost-effective interventions for obesity.
