Experiences From an Internet-Delivered Treatment Program for Individuals With Obesity: Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Digital health interventions
• Behavioral medicine

Background:

• Obesity is a significant global health issue with serious comorbidities.
• Effective obesity treatments are crucial for improving patient health and quality of life.
• Internet-delivered treatment (IDT) offers increased accessibility but requires pilot testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and user-friendliness of an internet-delivered treatment for obesity (IDT-O).
• To evaluate changes in weight, diet, physical activity, and psychosocial functioning post-treatment.
• To explore the experiences of both completers and dropouts of the IDT-O program.

Main Methods:

• A 1-year prospective observational study using a multimethod design.
• Inclusion criteria: adults (18+) with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 or BMI 28-29.9 kg/m2 with obesity-related comorbidity.
• A 6-month therapist-assisted IDT-O program was provided, with assessments at baseline, 6, and 12 months; dropouts were interviewed qualitatively.

Main Results:

• 20 participants started the IDT-O; 35% completed. Completers showed modest weight loss (2.0%) and improvements in diet, physical activity, and psychosocial functioning.
• Qualitative analysis revealed mixed experiences, summarized as 'The programme was OK, but it does not suit everyone.'
• Participants reported satisfaction with the intervention's content and design.

Conclusions:

• The IDT-O demonstrates potential for obesity treatment, evidenced by positive outcomes in completers.
• Low completion rates (35%) indicate a need for further program development and patient selection strategies.
• Preliminary findings on lifestyle and psychosocial improvements require validation in larger studies.