Teledietetics improves weight reduction by modifying eating behavior: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Weight reduction without behavioral modification is not sustainable. However, with a technology application such as teledietetics, the recording process could be a cognitive cue for individuals to change their eating behavior. This study tested obese participants to determine whether teledietetics shows better results in weight reduction. Study Design and Methods: We conducted a double-blinded randomized controlled trial. The participants in the food diary (FD) and electronic diary (ED) groups recorded their dietary intakes in logbooks and on an electronic diary system, respectively. The participants in the control group (CG) did nothing. Subjects were adults 20-60 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m ². The ED and FD groups were the intervention groups and were compared with the CG group. The participants' body weights, BMIs, fat percentages, waist-to-hip ratios (WHRs), and mean arterial pressures (MAPs) were measured before the study, at Week 6, and at Week 12. Demographic data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. A chi-squared test and descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic and biomeasurement data. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the three groups over time. Results: Significant decreases in body weight (F_1.705,86.950=20.508, p<0.001) and BMI (F _{1.657, 84.486}=21.256, p<0.001) and insignificant decreases in fat percentage (F_2,94=0.547, p=0.581), WHR (F_1.785,91.052=2. 888, p=0.067), and MAP (F_2,94=7.542, p=0.0001) were observed among the three measurement times. Conclusions: Electronic dietary records were better than food diaries in terms of fat percentage reduction in our trials, indicating that teledietetics increases healthy-eating awareness.