ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2021
Feasibility of a virtual reality-based approach to improve behavioral weight management outcomes.
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Virtual-reality Based Approach to Improve Behavioral Weight Management Outcomes
The Acceptability and Feasibility of 3D Reconstruction and Virtual Reality in Addressing Body Image in Bariatric Surgery
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Evaluating the use of virtual reality for weight management: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2026Pooled it
- Virtual body image exercises for people with obesity - results on eating behavior and body perception of the ViTraS pilot study.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2025Trial
- Evaluating the Effects of Clinician Prescribing and Implementation Materials on Adoption of Virtual Reality Therapeutics: Randomized Feasibility Pilot Study.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and acceptance of virtual reality vs. traditional exercise in obese adults: a pilot randomized trial.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBehavioral weight loss interventions promote clinically significant weight loss over 12 months, but weight regain remains problematic and a substantial proportion of participants do not achieve long-term weight loss maintenance. Novel methods are needed that instill habit strength for sustaining weight control behaviors long term. Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to provide opportunities within behavioral treatment for patients to practice desired weight control behaviors in the frequency and magnitude necessary to build durable habits. A pilot randomized trial was done to test the feasibility integrating virtual reality (VR) into standard behavioral weight loss treatment.
methodsParticipants were 15 adults (43 years; 46.7% Hispanic), with overweight or obesity who were randomly assigned to a 4-week Standard Behavioral Weight Loss plus Non-Weight-Related VR app (i.e., Control Group) or Standard Behavioral Weight Loss plus Weight-Related VR app (i.e., Intervention Group). The Intervention's VR tool was designed to enable practice of behavioral skills taught in weekly group meetings, including managing social and home environmental cues for eating and activity.
resultsParticipants were recruited over 3 months, and retention at the final assessment visit was high (86.6%). The VR footage and resulting app were rated as highly realistic (6.7 on a 10-point scale), and the VR program overall was rated as highly satisfactory (3.6 on a 4-point scale). Adverse effects of eye strain and motion sickness were minimal (~ 2 on a 7-point scale). As expected, the intervention and control groups both lost weight and unadjusted means (SD) averaged 3.4% (2.7) and 2.3% (3.6), respectively, over the 4 weeks. Overall, participants reported preferring a VR approach above traditional weight loss programs (rating of 5 on a 7-point scale).
conclusionsFuture research is needed to develop and test the feasibility of using VR for other weight control skills with a larger sample size and longer evaluation period to determine if VR can improve standard behavioral weight loss outcomes by intensifying practice opportunities and building habit strength for weight loss maintenance.
trial registrationNCT04534088 ; date of registration: 09/01/2020, retrospectively registered.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.