Unlock Weight Loss Success with the Power of Twitter
A new study indicates that using social media can help people lose weight. Joining these sites makes individuals more dedicated to their weight loss goals.
Conducted by Brie Turner-McGrievy from the Arnold School’s Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, along with her team, the study found that people who tweet about their weight loss journey have a higher chance of success.
Published in the January issue of the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine, the study revealed that participants only used Twitter to update and support each other.
Turner-McGrievy highlighted that those incorporating Twitter into their weight loss plans tend to lose more weight compared to those who don’t.
The research followed 96 overweight and obese men and women living in a metropolitan area for six months. Each participant had at least one of four types of internet-accessible mobile devices, such as an iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, or an Android-based phone. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: one group used only podcasts (Podcast), while the other group used both podcasts and additional mobile media tools (Podcast + mobile).
Both groups received two weekly podcasts for the first three months, and then two five-minute mini-podcasts per week for the next three months. These podcasts provided information on nutrition, exercise, goal setting, and even included an audio soap opera. In addition to the podcasts, the Podcast + mobile group got access to a diet and physical activity monitoring app and a Twitter app on their mobile devices. Researchers found that both groups lost 2.7% of their total body weight within six months.
Turner-McGrievy explained that traditional weight loss programs usually have social support groups that meet weekly to share experiences. While effective, these meetings can be costly. Online social interaction offers a cheaper alternative, allowing individuals to share their journeys from the comfort of their homes.
