Weight Loss & Diet Plans

Can Email Help Your Health?

Can what's in your inbox help you lose weight?

Absolutely, says Leah Carmel of Beltsville, Md.

"I've been with WebMD's Weight Loss Clinic since June of 2003, and I've lost a total of 79 pounds," Carmel says, "I've had my share of hiccups, but I've kept chugging along with the help of weekly newsletters from WebMD and daily emails with 'Words to Lose by.'"

To her, these newsletters -- with links to articles on diet, exercise, and health; status reports on Weight Loss Clinic members; and health-conscious recipes -- are so much more than spam.

"I have a huge 6-inch binder full of all the newsletters, and I print out each of the 'Words to Lose by,'" says Carmel. "I go back and read them when I need to and that keeps my motivation going."

Indeed, a recent study indicates that contrary to popular opinion, spam can be good for your health -- at least, when it's a steady diet of health-related emails.

E-Dieting and Exercise

Researchers at the University of Alberta, Canada, looked at the effects that emails containing healthy information had on a group of Canadian workers. During the 12-week study period, 1,566 members of the group got weekly messages about healthy eating and physical activity. A comparison group of 555 people did not receive the emails.

The researchers found that the group that got the emails increased physical activity levels by about 3% and improved their eating habits, while those who didn't get the emails decreased their physical activity by about 11% and saw only a slight increase in healthy eating habits. The email group also ended up with a small reduction in mean BMI (body mass index), while the mean BMI of the other group went up slightly.

The email recipients revealed "more confidence in being able to participate in physical activity, greater intention to participate in physical activity, and perceived more advantages and fewer disadvantages of physical activity participation," according to the study, published in the July/August 2005 edition of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

"The findings of this study suggest that email-based physical activity and dietary messages can produce small changes in physical activity attitudes and behavior and nutrition-related behavior," the researchers wrote.

The Impact of Email

American Dietetic Association spokesperson Susan Moores, RD, says the idea is encouraging.

"As a practitioner, I was delighted to see this research," says Moores, a dietitian in St. Paul, Minn. "That people will pay attention to health information in email is really exciting. It has great potential, and that it can make a difference is really encouraging news."

What is it about email that can help encourage some people to stick with their health goals?

"It's almost like a friend asking you how you are doing on your diet," says Rick Hall, RD, who serves on the advisory board for the Arizona Governor's Council on Health, Physical Fitness, and Sports. "If someone is going to send you an email once a day or week or month, it'll force you to keep your diet and exercise in mind."