Losing Weight is now a Team Sport

Turns out not all peer pressure is a bad thing: a new study shows that participating in team-based weight loss will positively influence the weight change of each individual team member. In addition to offering motivation through healthy competition, investigators found that team-based weight loss programs bolster the resolve of participants by giving them encouragement and support from their teammates, pushing them to try harder to lose the weight.

Interestingly enough, team members reportedly lost very similar amounts of weight, resulting in a loss of about 4.2 percent of initial body weight in this particular competition. Team captains, who are presumably the most invested in their team’s success, tended to lose more weight than other team members, suggesting that a higher level of engagement in the program ultimately resulted in higher levels of weight loss.

Team-based online weight loss programs like the one used in the study are becoming increasingly common, giving many who need an accessible weight loss support group more online options. Using statistics like exercise minutes and steps on a pedometer, progress for your team and others can be measured and articulated clearly, driving competition without interaction with each other in the physical world. This is a weight loss support group for the social media age, uniting complete strangers to strive for healthier lives while allowing each individual to determine what pace and level of involvement is appropriate.

If you’re concerned about your weight, ask your weight loss surgeon about local support groups like this one. Having a group of peers who share your same weight loss goals will ultimately help you achieve a healthier lifestyle.