As the obesity epidemic in our country continues to grow, there are many new weight loss programs that are in the process of being evaluated. In Rhode Island researchers studied 179 people with an average BMI (Body Mass Index) of 34. They were part of a 12-week weight loss competition online. One group did the standard online program that helped with diet and exercise. Another group was given video lessons on weight loss in addition to the standard program. A third group was given the online program, videos and daily self-monitoring for exercise and diet, and computer generated feedback.

With education and videos the average weight loss was 3.1 pounds. With the addition of feedback the group lost an average of 7.7 pounds. Feedback is a valuable tool for weight loss. Personal feedback rather than on the computer may be even more effective. When you consider the massive scale of the obesity epidemic, personal interaction may not always be possible. Computer generated feedback programs therefore may be a very effective tool for the future.