Effectiveness of a Remotely Delivered Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Intervention With Online Community Support: Pilot...

Community-based interventions using an ad libitum Whole Food Plant-Based Diet (WFPB) effectively promote weight loss and reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Although in-person delivery fosters valuable social interaction, it also increases costs and limits scalability. This pilot study evaluated a 5-week, remotely delivered WFPB intervention with online community support among 18 women with overweight or obesity, 16 of who completed outcome measures. Participants received WFPB meal plans, attended weekly remote sessions, and posted daily meal photos in a dedicated Facebook group, to facilitate interaction between participants. Weight, fat mass, body mass index, lipid profile, and blood pressure were assessed at baseline, Week 5, and Week 12 (7 weeks post-intervention). At Week 5, mean weight loss was 4.99 ± 1.84 kg (P < .001), with 80% of participants losing an additional 2.63 ± 1.58 kg during follow-up. By Week 12, total weight loss averaged 6.86 ± 3.00 kg, with 80% from fat mass. Significant reductions in total and LDL cholesterol (P < .001) and systolic blood pressure (P < .001) persisted. High online group engagement correlated with greater post-intervention weight loss (r = 0.62, P < .05). These findings support the feasibility of digitally delivered WFPB programs for improving weight and cardiometabolic health, and warrant future large-scale, extended trials to confirm and refine their long-term effectiveness and generalizability.