IRMA-International.org: Creator of Knowledge
Information Resources Management Association
Advancing the Concepts & Practices of Information Resources Management in Modern Organizations

"The Secret is Out!": Supporting Weight Loss through Online Interaction

"The Secret is Out!": Supporting Weight Loss through Online Interaction
View Sample PDF
Author(s): Laura W. Black (Ohio University, USA), Jennifer J. Bute (Ohio University, USA)and Laura D. Russell (Ohio University, USA)
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 18
Source title: Cases on Online Discussion and Interaction: Experiences and Outcomes
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Leonard Shedletsky (University of Southern Maine, USA)and Joan E. Aitken (Park University, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-863-0.ch019

Purchase

View "The Secret is Out!": Supporting Weight Loss through Online Interaction on the publisher's website for pricing and purchasing information.

Abstract

This chapter provides a case study of how social support is communicated through online interaction on a weight loss community website. The site has many features including member profiles, journals, discussion boards, exercise and food trackers, and charts to help members keep track of their weight loss efforts. Members set goals, write journal entries, comment on one another’s journals, upload photos, join groups and challenges, and discuss concerns issues related to diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, and other issues in their lives. Through analyzing journal entries and discussion forum comments, we discern how members demonstrate and respond to social support with one another. We also investigate the ways in which features of the online interaction and social networking help people communicate support. This study offers implications for facilitators or web designers who want to create online spaces that foster supportive communication, particularly related to health concerns.

Related Content

Tamara Leigh Wandel. © 2023. 22 pages.
Berceste Gülçin Özdemir. © 2023. 10 pages.
Shalini Ramdeo, Riann Singh. © 2023. 16 pages.
Umut Çıvgın. © 2023. 19 pages.
Kadriye Özyazıcı. © 2023. 20 pages.
Desmond Onyemechi Okocha, Sienne Ozioma Okpor. © 2023. 12 pages.
Nor Hazlina Hashim, Muhammad Emeer Nor Azhar, Marshina Juliza Mohd Hasim, Zaridah Abdullah. © 2023. 16 pages.
Body Bottom