Phone Application Helps Endometrial and Breast Cancer Survivors Lose Weight

Early-stage overweight endometrial and breast cancer survivors had moderate success in lowering their body mass index (BMI) and waste circumference after using the web and smart phone/tablet—based weight loss application “Lose It!”, according to a small study.

The study, conducted by Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, showed that both BMI and waste circumference were reduced by 3% to 4% in 50 participants after they used the application to log daily food intake and voluntary exercise for 30 days.

“What our research found parallels the recent SUCCEED (Survivors of Uterine Cancer Empowered by Exercise and healthy Diet) trial,” lead author Michele McCarroll, PhD, director of Women's Health Research at Summa Health System’s Center for Women's Health Research, and an assistant professor for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northeast Ohio Medical University, said in a press release.

“We were very encouraged by the findings which validate that a lifestyle intervention using an application like Lose It! is a feasible option for short-term weight loss. Further, through this approach, the patient does not face some of the cost and healthcare provider access issues normally associated with more face-to-face traditional weight-loss programs.”

According to Lose It!’s website, the application works by assisting participants with establishing a daily calorie budget and allowing the participant to track their food and exercise to achieve their weight-loss goals.

Full results of the research was presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s 45th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer held March 22-25, 2014 in Tampa, Florida