How Social Media Helps With Weight Loss

The University of California, Irvine, conducted a study known as ‘Weight Loss through Virtual Support Communities: A Role for Identity-based Motivation in Public Commitment.’ The aim of the study was to determine the role of public commitment, social media, and virtual communities in weight loss goal setting and achievement. The results of the study showed that sharing the goals with public along with the setbacks and achievements has a positive impact on the motivation to achieve that goal. The study was published in Journal of Interactive Marketing and was co-authored by Tonya Williams Bradford, assistant professor of marketing at UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business, Geraldine R. Henderson from Loyola University Chicago and Sonya Grier from American University.

The study was conducted over a time of four years and included a non-surgical weight loss group and a surgical weight loss group, the members of both using online support communities during the course of the study. According to the results and the findings of the study, the people using the online social communities were much more likely to achieve their desired result in weight loss because making a public commitment helped push them towards the success that they wanted to achieve. Bradford said that public accountability is the key to achieving faster and better results.

Online support communities and social media that are dedicated to achieving personal goals often provide an environment of motivation, along with relative accessibility, anonymity, and flexibility in how their journey is displayed. All these factors provide a sense of privacy and security to people and they remain committed and motivated enough to continue on their path. The strength that these people gain on social media and virtual support communities is then visible in the adherence that they show to achieving various goals of their lives like losing weight and gaining muscle.