Online communities: (re)connecting people seeking weight loss and healthcare professionals
People who want to lose weight are increasingly gathering in online communities. At a time when some influencers are promoting risky weight loss methods, including the misuse of medications, these digital spaces could—if supervised by healthcare professionals—become a useful complement to traditional medical care.
Steffie Gallin, Montpellier Business School; Laurie Balbo, Grenoble School of Management (GEM) and Marie-Christine Lichtlé, University of Montpellier
One in two French people is overweight or obese. In an attempt to lose weight, those affected are no longer relying solely on healthcare professionals.
There are online communities dedicated to weight loss support, which offer the opportunity to interact with "peers," people "like us" who are facing the same issues.
Online communities, on social media, between patients...
Sometimes linked to a brand (such as the well-known Weight Watchers community), sometimes launched on the initiative of internet users on general health websites (such as Doctissimo) or on social networks, sometimes with a scientific committee made up of doctors (like certain patient communities, such as Carenity), these communities are enduring and continue to attract new members.
How can their success be explained? Can they be a lever towards more balanced eating habits? How can their approach be reconciled with the care offered by healthcare professionals?
The role of influencers in weight loss diets
Weight loss is an uphill battle. This is what emerges from the testimonials collected in our study. Qualitative in nature, it was conducted among 25 users of online communities.
Annie, 43, says, for example:
"I enjoy good food, but I'm taking control of my life now. I think I'll stick to this diet for the rest of my life. It has helped me realize that being overweight can be managed, but it requires daily attention."
Various strategies are used to lose weight: for example, visiting a healthcare professional or following a low-calorie diet such as the famous Weight Watchers program (the brand ceased operations in France at the end of 2024).
But now, some people who want to lose weight follow health and wellness influencers on social media. This marks a new era for diets, in which influencers are particularly influential.
Risks associated with promoting the misuse of medicines
Currently, influencers are heavily promoting semaglutides such asOzempic, without any medical supervision, which poses risks that health authorities have warned about. Ozempic is actually a diabetes medication that is being illegally diverted from its original use because it induces weight loss.
It should be noted that there is now a version of the same molecule, marketed under the name Wegovy, which is indicated for treating obesity in very specific situations. This new drug is only available on prescription, and prescriptions are highly regulated.
"Support communities" with people who are "like us"
Many people also turn to communities to share their weight loss journeys and support each other.
Sabah, 35, shares her story:
"Just sharing our difficulties, I think that makes a difference. It can lift your spirits."
These communities help maintain motivation through exchanges with people who have had similar experiences.
Lise, 53, explains:
"One thing that has always struck me as rather difficult is receiving weight loss advice from people who are very slim. Do they really know what dieting is like and what it's like to be on a diet? [...] There is an understanding within these communities that you don't necessarily get with a professional."
The medical profession can therefore no longer ignore the existence of these gathering places, nor the listening and empathy that patients need and that these professionals do not always have time to provide.
These online communities created for weight loss are referred to by participants as "support communities." Sharing is at the heart of these communities.
Estelle, 32, analyzes:
"I think that when we take this step of going to forums, we are looking to share and support each other."
This support can be informational, when users exchange tips and tricks, but also emotional.
Jennifer, 22, reports:
"It's nice when people say you've lost weight or that you've overindulged. It's good to see people writing 'Keep going, hang in there'."
Participants seek to interact with people and "profiles that are similar to them." "In the same boat," "people who are like me," and "finding common ground" are all ways of referring to people we think are like us, with whom we identify.
A space for sharing to eat better?
Our second quantitative study, conducted among 335 community users, shows that the more supported users feel, the more they identify with other community members. However, in any social gathering, rules must be followed to ensure that interactions are as peaceful and beneficial as possible.
There are many rules or standards that govern communities: do not judge others, post your weight loss every week, be sincere, post your menus, do not follow a restrictive diet, participate in the community every day, or set a specific goal.
Our study shows that the more participants comply with these rules, the more their self-efficacy increases, which translates in particular into greater consumption of fruits and vegetables, in line with official recommendations and scientific literature. This strategy is recognized as effective for weight loss.
Claude, 70, when talking about sharing recipes with the community, also says:
"It was a salmon pasta bake. With fish. That gave me an idea, because I'm not used to doing that."
Myriam, 32, adds:
"I've incorporated chocolate into my diet, for example, even though I don't normally eat chocolate at all. I'm more of a savory snacker. By incorporating chocolate, I've realized that it helps me get through the day. It's a little moment of pleasure, and that's a tip I got from the forums."
Additional support for patients
While one of our previous studies conducted among 23 nutrition experts showed that healthcare professionals were wary of these online communities (due to the possibility of misinformation, excessive beliefs, and encouragement to undertake restrictive diets, for example), these experts could leverage them for a multidimensional approach to treating overweight and obesity.
The use of these communities could provide additional support in the current context, where the focus is on treating the causes, not just the consequences, of obesity, by calling on nutrition experts as well as psychologists, cardiologists, and other professionals.
As an alternative to communities that promote diets criticized for being restrictive, communities developed, supported, and supervised by healthcare professionals could be a source of psychological well-being for their patients.
There is still some way to go to better (re)connect patients and healthcare professionals. Support must be at the heart of overweight and obesity management, as it makes it easier to achieve goals.
Steffie Gallin, Assistant Professor, Montpellier Business School; Laurie Balbo, Associate Professor of Marketing _Director of the MSc Digital Marketing & Data Analytics Program, Grenoble École de Management (GEM) and Marie-Christine Lichtlé, University Professor, Co-Head of the MARÉSON Chair, University of Montpellier
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readthe original article.