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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT00265954

Internet Assisted Obesity Treatment

High quality behavioral weight loss programs are not widely accessible. The Internet offers one way to deliver health behavior programs to a wider audience. However, effective weight loss treatments are intensive and program delivery over the Internet may not be capable of duplicating the level of engagement typically generated during traditional in-person treatment. The goal of this study is to test the effectiveness of three weight loss interventions: Internet alone, Internet+periodic in-person support, and in-person alone. The investigators hypothesize that the in-person and internet+in-person interventions will produce better weight loss and maintenance than the internet only group.

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Key information

Conditions

Overweight Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Obesity Overnutrition Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

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About this study

Currently 65% of the adult population is overweight or obese. Unfortunately, safe and effective treatments for obesity are costly and intensive; therefore, this level of support is unlikely to be feasible in most clinical settings. Moreover, an additional limitation to current obesity treatment approaches is the limited reach and availability of programs for persons who work, live in rural areas or do not want, or cannot afford participation in group support classes. The advent of telecommunications technology may provide a solution to this dilemma. Telecommunications technology can presumably improve access to services and improve efficiency of delivery. Moreover, research examining new technologies such as the Internet, will provide information for policy makers interested in disseminating low-cost, high reach effective obesity treatment interventions. However, the effectiveness of the Internet for inducing weight loss has not been rigorously tested. Therefore, the overall goal of this project is to determine if obesity treatment can be effectively delivered over the Internet. A secondary aim is to evaluate whether the effectiveness of Internet interventions can be improved with the addition of minimal in-person support. Specifically, this project is a randomized, controlled clinical trial designed to test the translation of a behavioral weight loss program to the Internet (I). The I intervention will be compared to both an in-person condition (IP) and an Internet condition supplemented with periodic in-person support (I+IP). Subjects will be 488 (30% minority) overweight and obese adults recruited from Vermont and Arkansas who will participate in a 6-month behavioral weight control treatment program followed by 12 months of weight maintenance. Assessments will include measures of body weight, adherence to treatment goals, social influence components and frequency of use of Internet website features.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • >18 years old
  • BMI>25
  • Internet access

Exclusion criteria

  • pregnancy
  • major medical problems
  • inability to walk for exercise

Treatment and study plan

internet, in-person and internet+in-person

Behavioral

All participants receive an 18 month behavioral weight loss program that meets weekly for the first 6 months and monthly for the next year.

Primary outcomes

  1. Body Mass Index or body weight change

    Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 18 month time points

Secondary outcomes

  1. Social support, diet, exercise, adherence to treatment components

    Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 18 months

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Vermont

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  • University of Arkansas

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized Trial of an Internet Versus In-person Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment Program.

Acronym: iReach

Important dates

Study start
2006
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2009
First posted
Dec 15, 2005
Registry last updated
Aug 6, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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