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This study evaluates the effectiveness of a web-based obesity management program HealthyWeightCoaching (HWC), within a HealthyWeightHub.fi (HWH) platform. HWC is a 12-month intervention within a real-life clinical setting. The program includes a combination of nutrition, physical activity, and cognitive behavioral approaches, with a strong basis in acceptance and commitment therapy.
In addition to the automated, interactive program, HWC includes a personal coach allocated to each patient. The patients are enrolled through referrals from primary care, occupational health, other hospitals, or from private health care units nationwide in Finland.
Obesity is one of the major public health problems globally and it increases the risk of many obesity-associated diseases. Treatment of obesity requires long-term interventions, but nevertheless, it is challenging to provide long-term treatment when resources in real-life health care systems are limited. New cost-effective and accessible intervention methods are needed.
The modern treatment of obesity is based on behavioral changes that modify one´s daily lifestyle, which, according to recent research, are effective especially in the prevention of diabetes. However, little is known about the utilization and effectiveness of online programs using novel interactive technologies.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a real-life web-based obesity management program (HealthyWeightCoaching, HWC) on weight loss, health, quality of life, and factors predicting long term success in treating overweight adult patients.
Healthy Weight Coaching is a novel 12-month intervention within a real-life clinical setting. The program includes a combination of nutrition, physical activity, and cognitive behavioral approaches, with a strong basis in acceptance and commitment therapy. The program is structured around weekly exercise modules.
In addition to the automated, interactive program, HWC includes a personal coach allocated to each patient. The patients are enrolled through referrals from primary care, occupational health, other hospitals, or from private health care units nationwide in Finland. The program is free for the patient to use.
The 12-month intervention is followed by a 5-year monitoring period. Questionnaires on health, quality of life, and lifestyle are collected at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12-month time points. Body weight is collected by weekly logs. The recruitment is ongoing as the program is currently used in clinical practice.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Healthy Weight Coaching | Experimental | Intervention: Healthy Weight Coaching. |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Weight Coaching | Behavioral | Healthy Weight Coaching is a 52 week long web-based weight loss program consisting of weekly modules, exercises, peer support, and one-on-one coaching. It encompasses themes such as diet, physical activity, coping with stress, sleep, and general health. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| % weight loss | Mean weight change in % | baseline to 12 months |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Categorical weight loss | % patients achieving 3-4.9%, 5-9.9% and >10% weight loss | baseline to 12 months |
| Sleep | Self-reported sleep variables are measured by a questionnaire that was modified from the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire and The National FINRISK study. Included are questions about sleep duration, chronotype, tiredness, sleep apnoea, and medication. |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirsi Pietiläinen, MD-PhD | Contact | +358505992295 | kirsi.pietilainen@helsinki.fi |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kirsi Pietiläinen, MD-PhD | Helsinki University Central Hospital | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Helsinki | Recruiting | Helsinki | Finland |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42154894 | Derived | Wu ER, Joki A, Venalainen MS, Suojanen LU, Pietilainen KH, Ahola AJ. Alcohol consumption, smoking, and weight loss outcomes: findings from a 12-month digital lifestyle intervention. Eur J Public Health. 2026 Apr 11;36(3):ckag072. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckag072. | |
| 41082943 | Derived | Mannisto SA, Joki A, Suojanen LU, Venalainen MS, Pietilainen KH, Ahola AJ. Does loneliness impact intentional weight loss? The role of obesity-related disadvantages and comorbidities. Prev Med. 2026 Jan;202:108430. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108430. Epub 2025 Oct 11. |
| Label | URL |
|---|---|
| The HealthyWeightHub portal, into which the HealthyWeightCoaching program is embedded (in Finnish and Swedish only) | View source |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D009765 | Obesity |
| D001835 | Body Weight |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D050177 | Overweight |
| D044343 | Overnutrition |
| D009748 | Nutrition Disorders |
| D009750 | Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases |
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|
| baseline to 12 months |
| Health-Related Quality of Life | Health-related quality of life is measured by the RAND36 questionnaire. | baseline to 12 months |
| Psychological Flexibility | Psychological flexibility is assessed by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight (AAQW). It is a 22-item, Likert-type scale that measures acceptance of weight related thoughts and feelings with valued actions. | baseline to 12 months |
| Eating behaviour | Eating behavior is assessed by the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), measuring dietary restraint, disinhibition, and susceptibility to hunger. | baseline to 12 months |
| 38851400 | Derived | Ahola AJ, Suojanen LU, Joki A, Pietilainen KH. Loneliness and its cross-sectional associations with health, health behaviours, and perceptions in Finnish patients with overweight or obesity taking part in the Healthy Weight Coaching. Prev Med. 2024 Aug;185:108032. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108032. Epub 2024 Jun 6. |
| 38001145 | Derived | Biehl A, Venalainen MS, Suojanen LU, Kupila S, Ahola AJ, Pietilainen KH, Elo LL. Development and validation of a weight-loss predictor to assist weight loss management. Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 24;13(1):20661. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47930-y. |
| 32885090 | Derived | Suojanen LU, Ahola AJ, Kupila S, Korpela R, Pietilainen KH. Effectiveness of a web-based real-life weight management program: Study design, methods, and participants' baseline characteristics. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2020 Aug 13;19:100638. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100638. eCollection 2020 Sep. |
| D012816 |
| Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |