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Dr. Cheryl Shigaki, an associate professor in the MU School of Health Professions, has found that “social and informational supports are important for individuals' dieting success, along with learning skills for self-management, problem-solving and behavior change,” according to ECN Magazine.

“Smartphone apps can increase access to information, and people generally are willing to explore many different weight loss applications, Shigaki said. Although use of those apps may increase participants' engagement and persistence, individuals still must practice accountability for their health behaviors to succeed, Shigaki said.”

Shigaki “recommends that community health initiatives, such as workplace wellness programs, incorporate existing wellness apps to streamline behavior tracking while encouraging and enhancing in-person social support that information technologies cannot replace.”

Notes Shigaki: “People value workplace support, but companies probably should not attempt to develop their own social networking portals, which already exist and may not provide added value. They can get expensive very quickly. Organizations do not need to ‘reinvent the wheel' when wellness programs can take advantage of information technologies consumers already use.”