Pilot evaluation of an online weight management programme

Losing weight is about much more than simply eating fewer calories. A healthy weight loss plan should improve the overall quality of your diet to ensure you get sufficient amounts of all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. This study evaluated the MyDietScore online weight management programme which has been designed to help people lose weight safely by assessing the quality of their diet and providing personalised, practical dietary advice based on established healthy eating principles and guidelines.

The programme initially asked users to answer a series of simple questions about their usual eating habits, physical activity and lifestyle. Rather than counting every calorie or requiring users to keep detailed food diaries, the app evaluated the overall quality of users' diets based on these data. It then identified eating patterns that would support better health and weight loss, highlighting specific areas where the person could make improvements to their diet. In this respect, the app generated an easy-to-understand assessment report together with two personalised dietary goals that users could work towards over the following week. Each time users logged in and repeated their dietary assessment, a new set of tailored recommendations were provided, helping them to make gradual, realistic dietary changes that were easier to sustain over time.

The study followed all participants who completed the six-week programme and found that they achieved significant improvements in their health. On average, those who completed the programme lost 2.8 kilograms (just over six pounds). They also reduced their body mass index (BMI) and decreased their waist circumference by more than 4 centimetres (nearly 2 inches). More than half of those who completed the programme lost at least 3% of their starting body weight, while one in four achieved a weight loss of 5% or more, a level usually associated with significant health benefits. For example, modest weight loss of this nature can reduce the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Very importantly, the MyDietScore programme focused on improving dietary quality rather than promoting restrictive dieting. The dietary advice provided aligns with national and international healthy eating guidelines and encourages users to make healthier food choices while maintaining a balanced intake of essential nutrients. This meant that participants could work towards losing weight without compromising their intake of important vitamins and minerals needed for energy, immune function, bone health and overall wellbeing. By improving the overall quality of users' diets, the programme supported healthy, sustainable weight management for participants rather than encouraging short-term or extreme dieting.

This study also showed that simple but consistent changes, such as reducing biscuits, cakes, pastries and alcohol, were associated with greater weight loss. These practical recommendations are easy to understand and can be incorporated into everyday life without eliminating entire food groups or following complicated diet plans.

Overall, this study demonstrates that the MyDietScore weight management app provides a safe, effective, reliable and practical approach to weight loss. By accurately assessing the overall quality of the diet and delivering personalised dietary advice that's based on the user's own needs and that aligns with established nutritional guidelines, the MyDietScore app helps people make healthier food choices, achieve meaningful weight loss and improve their long-term health while continuing to meet their recommended vitamin, mineral and other nutrient intake targets.