People living in rural areas are at greater risk for obesity than the general population, and they often have limited access to healthy, affordable food, physical activity facilities, public transportation, and health care institutions. Weight loss interventions are more successful with support from a dietitian, but many rural residents do not have preventive care providers nearby.
A research team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed an online weight management program that provides personalized assistance from a registered dietitian. In a new study, they collaborated with Illinois Extension to test the program’s efficacy among residents of rural Illinois.
EMPOWER is a new iteration of the Individualized Dietary Improvement Program (iDip), an in-person platform that includes…