Evaluating the use of virtual reality for weight management: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aims to clarify the effect of VR as an additional method to common treatments for weight management in adults using a systematic review and meta-analytic design.

A comprehensive literature search was performed through Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science Core Collection to identify the eligible studies that investigated the effect of VR-enhanced treatment (i.e., VR to deliver conventional treatment) on weight management among adults seeking weight loss compared to conventional treatments alone. The included studies were assessed by the INSPECT-SR tool for trustworthiness and authenticity. Body weight and BMI data at baseline, post-intervention, and at follow-up (maintenance phase) were collected to estimate the effect size.

Eleven studies met the criteria for inclusion in the systematic review, of which 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size indicated that VR-enhanced treatment was equally effective as conventional treatment in managing body weight and BMI during the intervention. More interestingly, the results revealed that VR-enhanced treatment was more effective on body weight management during the maintenance phase compared to conventional treatments (MD: -5.16 kg; 95% CI: -8.46, -1.85; I² = 0%).

The findings suggest that VR-enhanced treatment may offer a more effective approach for maintaining weight loss than conventional methods; however, these results should be interpreted with caution, as they are derived from a small number of studies, some of which raise serious concerns regarding conduct, governance, and transparency, highlighting the need for rigorous clinical trials to reach a definitive conclusion.