A web-based counseling program was developed to provide lifestyle advice on diet and physical activity to motivate behavior change. The program gives brief information on these topics and encourages exercise and healthy eating habits. A randomized controlled trial found that participants who used the program lost weight after 3-6 months. Researchers are analyzing which advice was most effective to design an advanced version of the program focused on motivating lifestyle changes.

1. Web-based support for www.salwe.fi
lifestyle changes
Healthy diet and taking more exercise are lifestyle changes that effectively and efficiently cut the risk of
obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases. A web-based counselling programme about
physical activity and diet has been developed as part of SalWe’s Mind and Body Programme.
The development work has been done at the Universities of Jyväskylä and Eastern Finland,
with Firstbeat Technologies as the commercial partner.
In industrialised countries, about a third of adults can gramme a web-based mini-intervention programme
be classified as overweight. Very many people are also has been developed. The programme gives advice on
physically inactive. diet and physical activity via the internet.
In motivating people to change their lifestyles, com- “Our main target groups are obese, overweight and
prehensive counselling has proved to be more effective physically inactive young adults. The first version of
than just giving them a set of instructions. Unfortu- the programme includes brief information about phys-
nately, counselling is time-consuming for healthcare ical activity and food and dietary matters. It encour-
professionals. ages people to take more exercise and it explains the
importance of eating rhythms and meal content,” says
In a project that is part of SalWe’s Mind and Body Pro- Professor Urho Kujala of the University of Jyväskylä.
SalWe - Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation in Health and Well-being

2. “The programme is targeted principally at
overweight or obese young adults who take
little exercise.”
Urho Kujala, University of Jyväskylä
Accessible and interactive The Mind and Body Programme also intends to test
The programme is easy to use and users can record more comprehensive interventions that are aimed
how they follow and react to the guidelines each day. at having a strong effect on personal motivation for
In an ongoing randomised controlled trial, test sub- lifestyle changes. Matching the type of intervention
jects have been given about 20 minutes instruction on to individual characteristics may be a good way of
how to use the programme and record their responses. reinforcing lifestyle changes. That could increase the
It takes only about 5 minutes to learn how to use the use of this kind of a programme and a more effective
simple version of the programme. platform would also have greater business potential.
The programme can be used alone or in combination
with a more comprehensive intervention.
Proven weight loss
“In the ongoing trial, we have been measuring out-
comes like fat percent and stress levels in the be-
ginning of the trial and over 3-month and 6-month
follow-ups. The preliminary results show that partici-
pants have lost weight. The final results will be avail-
able in 2013,” explains Docent Marjukka Kolehmainen
from the University of Eastern Finland.
More information
The controlled study is also investigating which advice
Urho Kujala
each participant follows and which participants gain professor
the greatest benefit from the intervention. A more University of Jyväskylä
advanced version will then be designed to concentrate urho.m.kujala@jyu.fi
+358 40 805 3567
on the most effective features.
Marjukka Kolehmainen
docent
University of Eastern Finland
marjukka.kolehmainen@uef.fi
+358 40 355 3617
SalWe - Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation in Health and Well-being