Research team performed a peer-to-peer approved retrospective chart-review study to understand the influence of interactive smartphone applications on overweight users trying to lose weight. The scientists have concluded that those who adhered to interacting with the app achieved desired, long-lasting results.

According to a survey concluded in 2020, the US grapples with a whopping increase of 42% in adult obesity rates. Among myriads of failed weight loss and management strategies, experts are intensely investigating the impact of fasting, specifically digitally-guided fasting methods.

A team of medical experts, in association with DoFasting, a company in digital weight management through intermittent fasting, are pleased to announce the publication of the research paper on the efficacy of smartphone apps in weight management through IF.

The team included a group of 22,022 users divided into two groups. The specific criteria for participants were that they must have started using the app from January 2022 to January 2021, used it for at least a month, and had at least one valid activity per week. Investigators of this study claim to have chosen this application for its accessibility of data directly from the developers. Understanding the impact of digital application-based advice on weight loss and fasting was the key point of this study.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) comprises a variety of diet practices that follow a simple rule of thumb – one can eat whatever they want and as much as they want for a specific time and spend the rest either by limiting the calorie intake or eating nothing at all: fasting. Thanks to social media trends, intermittent fasting has recently gained immense popularity for its efficiency and various claimed health benefits. Intermittent fasting is sustainable, given the variety of methods available to be tailored to a person’s BMI and dietary needs. The twice-a-week method (5:2), for instance, is beginner friendly. On the other hand, the eat-stop-eat method is rigorous but results in substantial weight loss in a short time.

DoFasting and Its Role

DoFasting, an intermittent fasting app that helps users assess and monitor weight management progress from start to finish, is taken as the centrifuge of the study. It's instrumental in assisting customers in reaching their fitness and weight management goals. This integrated platform offers everything one needs for weight loss.

Method

The team used self-reported parameters as data for the observation, i.e., gender, days of activation, and the total time of use.

After 90 days of activation, a few study participants opted to drop out, causing a few changes in this study. This led to the group's classification as long-term and short-term users. As there was a significant difference in the body weights of male and female participants, a subdivision of the groups was included. The most significant observation made during the study was the difference in the time of use between the male and female participants, as noted by project researcher Kasparas Aleknavicius, MD:

"The long-term user median of active days was 77 for males and 76 for females. Males tended to fast more than female users in the short-term and long-term groups."

Results

This study offers the following key takeaways:

-  All past and recent studies have confirmed that IF trials show prominent weight loss, making intermittent fasting a potential cure for obesity.
-  Past studies on mobile-based guidance and engagement for weight loss are scarce. Hence, this study is a monumental step toward progress in digital weight management.
-  This study has notably proved that an engaging and motivational approach with guidance and goal-setting facilities is far more effective than intervention methods.
-  The results of this study prove that if a mobile app, like DoFasting, is used for more extended periods, desired results can be achieved efficiently, as promised by Aleknavicius, MD:

"[...] the best results can be expected when users adhere to the app for longer and, importantly, engage with it. Using the app inactively, even for a longer time, would likely not give the desired outcomes."

-  Furthermore, the observations made on the app's fasting challenges offer scope for future research into the gamification of guidance applications that cater to weight management.

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