Telephone-Based Diet and Exercise Coaching and A Weight-loss Supplement Result in Weight and Fat Loss in 120 Men and Women

Abstract Purpose. Determine the effects of telephone-based coaching and a weight-loss supplement on the weight and body fat (BF) of overweight adults. Design. Randomized, placebo-controlled experiment with assessments at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months. Setting. Community. Subjects. Sixty overweight or obese men and 60 overweight or obese women, 25 to 60 years old. Intervention. Eleven 30-minute telephone coaching sessions were spaced throughout the study; the initial conversation lasted 60 to 90 minutes. Supplement or placebo capsules were taken daily over the 17 weeks. Measures. Weight was measured using an electronic scale, and BF was assessed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results. Subjects taking the placebo lost 1.8 ± 3.3 kg of weight and 0.7 ± 2.2 kg of BF, whereas supplement users lost more: 3.1 ± 3.7 kg of weight (F  =  4.1, P  =  .045) and 1.7 ± 2.6 kg of BF (F  =  4.4, p  =  .039). Participants receiving no coaching lost 1.8 ± 3.3 kg of weight and 0.7 ± 2.2 kg of BF, whereas adults re...