Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective Analysis
Maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial for cancer survivors. However, weight loss program effectiveness studies have primarily been in highly controlled settings. This is a retrospective study exploring real-world outcomes (weight loss and program engagement) after use of a digital commercial we...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/2908 |
| _version_ | 1797517824476839936 |
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| author | Christine N. May Annabell Suh Ho Qiuchen Yang Meaghan McCallum Neil M. Iyengar Amy Comander Ellen Siobhan Mitchell Andreas Michaelides |
| author_facet | Christine N. May Annabell Suh Ho Qiuchen Yang Meaghan McCallum Neil M. Iyengar Amy Comander Ellen Siobhan Mitchell Andreas Michaelides |
| author_sort | Christine N. May |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial for cancer survivors. However, weight loss program effectiveness studies have primarily been in highly controlled settings. This is a retrospective study exploring real-world outcomes (weight loss and program engagement) after use of a digital commercial weight loss program (Noom) in cancer survivors and matched controls. All participants had voluntarily self-enrolled in Noom. Weight and engagement data were extracted from the program. Cancer-related quality of life was secondarily assessed in a one-time cross-sectional survey for survivors. Controls were a sample of Noom users with overweight/obesity who had no history of cancer but 0–1 chronic conditions. Primary outcomes were weight change at 16 weeks and program engagement over 16 weeks. Engagement included frequency of weight, food, and physical activity logging, as well as number of coach messages. Multiple regression controlling for baseline age, gender, engagement, and BMI showed that survivors lost less weight than controls (B = −2.40, s.e. = 0.97, <i>p</i> = 0.01). Survivors also weighed in less (survivors: 5.4 [2.3]; controls: 5.7 [2.1], <i>p</i> = 0.01) and exercised less (survivors: 1.8 [3.2]; controls: 3.2 [4.1], <i>p</i> < 0.001) than controls. However, survivors sent more coach messages (survivors: 2.1 [2.4]; controls: 1.7 [2.0], <i>p</i> < 0.001). Despite controls losing more weight than cancer survivors (−7.0 kg vs. −5.3 kg), survivors lost significant weight in 4 months (M = −6.2%). Cancer survivors can have success on digital commercial programs available outside of a clinical trial. However, they may require additional support to engage in weight management behaviors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:21:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bd91351558ce489abaae52bdede97ec4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:21:35Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-bd91351558ce489abaae52bdede97ec42023-11-22T14:34:19ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-08-01139290810.3390/nu13092908Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective AnalysisChristine N. May0Annabell Suh Ho1Qiuchen Yang2Meaghan McCallum3Neil M. Iyengar4Amy Comander5Ellen Siobhan Mitchell6Andreas Michaelides7Academic Research, Noom Inc., 229 W. 28th St., New York, NY 10001, USAAcademic Research, Noom Inc., 229 W. 28th St., New York, NY 10001, USAAcademic Research, Noom Inc., 229 W. 28th St., New York, NY 10001, USAAcademic Research, Noom Inc., 229 W. 28th St., New York, NY 10001, USAMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 300 East 66th St., New York, NY 10065, USAMassachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114, USAAcademic Research, Noom Inc., 229 W. 28th St., New York, NY 10001, USAAcademic Research, Noom Inc., 229 W. 28th St., New York, NY 10001, USAMaintaining a healthy weight is beneficial for cancer survivors. However, weight loss program effectiveness studies have primarily been in highly controlled settings. This is a retrospective study exploring real-world outcomes (weight loss and program engagement) after use of a digital commercial weight loss program (Noom) in cancer survivors and matched controls. All participants had voluntarily self-enrolled in Noom. Weight and engagement data were extracted from the program. Cancer-related quality of life was secondarily assessed in a one-time cross-sectional survey for survivors. Controls were a sample of Noom users with overweight/obesity who had no history of cancer but 0–1 chronic conditions. Primary outcomes were weight change at 16 weeks and program engagement over 16 weeks. Engagement included frequency of weight, food, and physical activity logging, as well as number of coach messages. Multiple regression controlling for baseline age, gender, engagement, and BMI showed that survivors lost less weight than controls (B = −2.40, s.e. = 0.97, <i>p</i> = 0.01). Survivors also weighed in less (survivors: 5.4 [2.3]; controls: 5.7 [2.1], <i>p</i> = 0.01) and exercised less (survivors: 1.8 [3.2]; controls: 3.2 [4.1], <i>p</i> < 0.001) than controls. However, survivors sent more coach messages (survivors: 2.1 [2.4]; controls: 1.7 [2.0], <i>p</i> < 0.001). Despite controls losing more weight than cancer survivors (−7.0 kg vs. −5.3 kg), survivors lost significant weight in 4 months (M = −6.2%). Cancer survivors can have success on digital commercial programs available outside of a clinical trial. However, they may require additional support to engage in weight management behaviors.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/2908weight lossobesitycancer survivorsretrospective study |
| spellingShingle | Christine N. May Annabell Suh Ho Qiuchen Yang Meaghan McCallum Neil M. Iyengar Amy Comander Ellen Siobhan Mitchell Andreas Michaelides Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective Analysis Nutrients weight loss obesity cancer survivors retrospective study |
| title | Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective Analysis |
| title_full | Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective Analysis |
| title_short | Comparing Outcomes of a Digital Commercial Weight Loss Program in Adult Cancer Survivors and Matched Controls with Overweight or Obesity: Retrospective Analysis |
| title_sort | comparing outcomes of a digital commercial weight loss program in adult cancer survivors and matched controls with overweight or obesity retrospective analysis |
| topic | weight loss obesity cancer survivors retrospective study |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/2908 |
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