Coach-Assisted eHealth With Group or Individual Support for Employees With Obesity: Randomized Controlled Trial on...

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Digital health interventions
• Behavioral medicine

Background:

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) offers a viable framework for digital and hybrid weight loss programs.
• Group-based, face-to-face interventions show better results than individual ones, but their impact in eHealth settings is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if minimal group or individual sessions enhance an eHealth-only intervention for weight loss, body composition, and lab metrics in obese patients.
• To compare eHealth-only, eHealth plus group sessions, and eHealth plus individual sessions in occupational health patients.

Main Methods:

• A 12-month randomized controlled trial with a 12-month follow-up involving 111 adults with obesity (BMI 30-40 kg/m²).
• Participants were assigned to eHealth, eHealth+group, or eHealth+individual arms, all receiving a web-based ACT program.
• Assessments included weight, body composition, blood pressure, and lab measurements at multiple time points.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in weight change or categorical weight change were observed between the three groups.
• The overall sample achieved 1.5% weight loss, with 18% reaching ≥5% weight loss.
• Waist circumference decreased and HDL cholesterol increased slightly, with sustained effects at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Minimal group or individual enhancements did not provide additional benefits over eHealth-only interventions for weight or somatic health.
• The intervention shows potential for improving body composition and metabolic health despite modest weight loss.
• Further research should explore optimal hybrid intervention designs and target populations for eHealth and hybrid models.