The Effect of Peer Support on Weight Loss in Young Adults

The current generation of youth may be the first in the United States who dies sooner than their parents and lives sicker. Stereotyping and discrimination may degrade communication between overweight/obese patients and their providers, exacerbating this negative trend. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if participation in online support groups is an effective tool to assist obese young adults in weight management. Six participants followed a low-calorie diet (1500 cal/day for women and 1800 cal/day for men) and engaged in 30 minutes of daily exercise. All participants also filled out the Obesity and Weight Loss Quality of Life (OWLQOL) questionnaire before and after the project to determine improvements in overall sense of well-being. Additionally, half of the participants joined an online support group by the name of Overcoming Obesity through Facebook. The effectiveness of the project was determined by comparing weight loss results in participants who joined the online support group versus those dieting and exercising on their own. Results showed that participants who joined the online support group lost more weight and felt better about themselves compared to those who dieted on their own. In primary care practice, providers can recommend online support groups to young adults struggling with weight management due to it being easily accessible and giving participants the opportunity to express themselves without fear of judgment.