Email can encourage a healthy lifestyle

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

An innovative study shows that email can persuade people to get more involved in physical activity.
The Internet and email offer a wealth of new possibilities for helping people improve their health. Concerned by the rise in type 2 diabetes, researchers at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, tested the impact of emails sent to the workplace in encouraging people to eat healthily and take exercise.

During the 12 week study, some participants received the emails and others did not. Those in the email group did take more exercise and felt more positive about physical activity. They even lost a little bit of weight while those in the control group gained some.

Email is cheap, practical and, if properly designed, unobtrusive. This study suggest that it might be an effective way of encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

Source
American Journal of Health Promotion July/August 2005 Volume 19 Number 6

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