Monitoring Your Weight-Loss Process Online: The Impacts of Prior Experiences and Online Social Support on Subsequent Weight-Loss Outcome

Online weight-loss communities (OWCs) have become increasingly popular for weight management; they enable individuals to monitor (i.e. self-monitoring) and discuss (i.e. social interaction) their weight-loss experiences. This study investigates the relationship between prior weight-loss experiences (success and failure), online social support, and subsequent weight-loss outcome in the context of OWCs and based on self-determination theory. We collected the data of 1465 users from one popular OWC and deployed two logit regression models to estimate the effects of prior weight-loss experiences on subsequent weight-loss success as well as the moderating role of social support. The results revealed that prior successful weight-loss experiences were positively related to subsequent weight-loss outcome, while the relationship between prior failed weight-loss experiences and subsequent weight-loss outcome was negative. Meanwhile, online social support can not only be positively related to subsequent weight-loss outcome, but also buffer the negative role of prior failed weight-loss experiences. Nevertheless, social support had no significant moderating role in the relationship between prior successful weight-loss experiences and subsequent weight-loss outcome. This study contributes to the literature on prior experiences and online social support in the context of OWCs and provides valuable insights to improve participants’ engagement and their weight-loss success.