Researchers from the University of Helsinki presented their findings of a four-week feasibility study at the Connected Health Symposium in Boston in October 2016. The results showed that virtual peer support groups with overweight, diabetic men and women moderated by a nutrition professional using MealLogger can effectively promote healthy eating.

Highlights:

• After the intervention, the mean daily portions of vegetables and fruits was 6.04 (SD 2.31), which was an increase of 2.15 (SD 2.64) portions (p<0.001) compared to baseline.
• The mean weight loss after the intervention was 1.5 kg (SD 1.82, p=0.001).
• The mean reduction in waist circumference was 2.4 cm (SD 2.418, p=0.001).
• 84% of participants agreed that they got support from other group members.
• The average user uploaded 5.2 meals per day and used the application total of 9.3 times per day, showing that they took time to interact with others through the app.