The effects of telenutrition in overweight and obese adults in a nutritional center in Lima, Peru.

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for health services and systems around the world, including Peru. A viable alternative in the telemedicine field to guarantee patient nutritional care is telenutrition. Telenutrition involves the interactive use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to implement the nutrition care process with patients at a remote location. Information regarding the experience with this methodology and its potential effect on patients’ nutritional goals, does not exist in Peru. The aim of the study was to report the effect of the evaluation type (telenutrition vs. in-person) on weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and relative fat mass (RFM) in overweight and obese adult patients. Methods: This retrospective study included 100 eligible patients in a single nutritional center, from January 2019 to March 2021. Telenutrition and in-person continuous variables were compared with independent sample t-test or U Mann-Whitney test. Results: There were significant differences in weight, BMI, WC and RFM by the end of follow-up period, in both evaluation modalities. Patients on the telenutrition group had a mean decrease of 6.80 ± 4.87 cm in WC, whereas the mean difference observed for the in-person group was 6.74 ± 4.55 cm. There were no significant differences in the changes of any anthropometric parameters when comparing both systems. Reductions were observed in weight (5.93 ± 3.88 kg vs. 4.92 ± 3.29 kg), BMI (2.23 ± 1.39 kg/ m2 vs. 1.83 ± 1.23 kg/ m2), WC (6.80 ± 4.87 cm vs. 6.74 ± 4.55 cm) and RFM (2.43 ± 1.78 vs. 2.63 ± 1.73) in telenutrition and in-person evaluation, respectively by the end of the follow-up period. Conclusions: Telenutrition may be regarded as an alternative to in-person evaluation offering anthropometric changes and nutritional goals similar to those reported through the in-person modality, in overweight and obese adult people.

The effect of phone and video counselling given to participants living with obesity on weight loss and quality of life during the COVID‐19 pandemic: a randomised controlled trial

“…In the study of Hall et al, 9 the total body fat percentage of individuals who applied a low‐calorie diet via videoconferencing decreased at the end of 6 months. In the study of Liñan et al, 20 the WC of participants living with obesity who received nutritional support via phone during the COVID‐19 pandemic decreased at the end of 3 months. In another study evaluating the effect of online dietary support for children living with obesity, muscle mass increased in the videoconferencing group at the end of 3 months, whereas fat mass increased in the control group ( p < 0.05) 24 …”

“…7 However, there are also studies showing similar effects of dietary intervention in weight loss through in-person or phone/video interviews. 8,20 In addition to BMI, waist circumference and body fat degree are used as indicators of adiposity. 21 Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that these indicators also increase.…”

In Patients with Obesity, Are Affective Temperaments Associated with Attrition? An Evaluation during and before the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

“…This might have affected the results of the study. However, there is evidence that visits by telemedicine are as effective as in-person visits, and telemedicine is now considered a safe alternative that can successfully help patients with obesity in weight loss [34][35][36]. Lastly, the high scores of the Binge Eating Scale questionnaire we found in our patients suggest that some subjects could have minimized the eating symptomatology at the initial evaluation because of a sense of guilt, shame, or a lack of awareness of the eating problem, as described in literature [37,38].…”

Weight Loss Outcomes With Telemedicine During COVID-19

“…Comparisons between video visits and in-person visits have been limited to lifestyle interventions only and vary in their methods and populations (6)(7)(8)(9)(10). A retrospective study of 100 adults in Peru found no significant differences in weight loss between telenutrition vs. in-person counseling (10).…”

“…Comparisons between video visits and in-person visits have been limited to lifestyle interventions only and vary in their methods and populations (6)(7)(8)(9)(10). A retrospective study of 100 adults in Peru found no significant differences in weight loss between telenutrition vs. in-person counseling (10). In a prospective study of 1550 participants in France who received nutrition and behavioral counseling, less weight loss was observed during the COVID-19 lockdown than before the lockdown (9).…”