The Effects of a Telephone-Based Intervention on Weight Loss

PURPOSE: To evaluate minimal-contact and telephone-assisted weight-loss programs for overweight persons. DESIGN: Participants were randomized to a minimal-contact group or one of two telephone-assisted weight-loss groups. All participants attended two group-based behavioral weight-loss classes and received written educational materials and diaries. For the subsequent 24 weeks, the minimal-contact group received no contact and the telephone-assisted group members received weekly calls to monitor their weight, food intake, and exercise. SETTING: Baseline educational sessions and data collection were conducted at a university site. SUBJECTS: Sixty-four healthy subjects (4 men) who were from 120% to 150% of ideal weight and were 25 to 55 years of age participated in the study. MEASURES: The major outcome of interest was change in measured weight over a 24-week period. Data on calories expended in exercise, dietary intake, and demographics were also gathered at baseline and 24 weeks. RESULTS: Weight loss did not differ significantly by treatment. Unexpectedly, the minimal-contact group lost almost twice as much weight as the telephone-assisted groups (12.7 vs 7.9 lb). CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be an audience for low-contact and telephone-assisted weight-loss programs, and such programs can be delivered easily. However, because the data show only modest weight-loss success, work should continue to identify the optimal content and design of such interventions.