Abstract

Telehealth has emerged as an essential strategy for delivering obesity management services, particularly as global 
obesity rates continue to rise and access to evidence-based care remains limited for many populations. This 
narrative review synthesizes evidence on the modalities, components, effectiveness, challenges, and future 
priorities of telehealth in obesity management. Telehealth interventions, including synchronous, asynchronous, 
and hybrid models, facilitate remote delivery of behavioral counselling, dietary support, physical-activity guidance, 
and self-monitoring. Evidence across multiple trials demonstrates that telehealth produces weight-loss outcomes 
and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors comparable to traditional in-person care, with mean reductions 
of 2.6–3.6 kg and sustained ≥5% weight loss in more than half of participants after 12 months. Telehealth also 
enhances patient satisfaction, improves accessibility for underserved groups, and supports long-term adherence 
through technology-enabled behavior-change strategies. However, disparities in digital access, methodological 
heterogeneity, limited economic evaluations, and persistent privacy concerns present challenges to widespread 
adoption. Future directions emphasize technology innovation, rigorous evaluation of hybrid models, improved 
equity in access, and standardized reporting frameworks. Overall, telehealth represents a viable, scalable, and 
acceptable approach to obesity management, with the potential to strengthen prevention and chronic disease care 
across diverse populations.