Table 1.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria
Age 18–35 years BMI 25–45 kg/m2 Fluent in English Current student at college/university in the greater DC/Boston area Available for assessments at months 6, 12 and 18 Active Facebook user, as identified by current Facebook account, logged in 1x in the past month Regular text message access
Exclusion Criteria
Untreated hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or type 2 diabetes* Heart disease, heart problems, or participant who report being prescribed drugs for blood pressure or a major heart condition* Health problems that may influence the ability to walk for physical activity* Type 1 diabetes or treatment of type 2 diabetes with insulin or oral medications that may cause hypoglycemia (e.g. sulphonylureas) Health problems that may be associated with unintentional weight change or affect the safety of a weight loss program: ○ Report of a heart attack or stroke ○ Active tuberculosis ○ HIV ○ Chronic hepatitis B or C, or other chronic liver disease ○ Inflammatory bowel disease requiring treatment within the last 12 months ○ Thyroid disease ○ Renal disease ○ Hospitalization for asthma or other lung disease in the past year ○ Chronic use of steroid medication ○ Cancer within the past 5 years (except non-melanoma skin cancers or early stage cervical cancers) Report of a past diagnosis of or treatment for a DSM-V eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder) or meet criteria as based on EDDS screening at start of trial Report of a past diagnosis or of current symptoms of alcohol or substance dependence Currently pregnant, pregnant within the past 6 months, or planning to become pregnant within the next 6 months (can be later re-screened) History of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (“manic” depression) Hospitalization for depression, or other psychiatric disorder within the past 12 months Currently trying to gain weight, or using steroids for muscle mass or weight gain Bariatric (or weight loss) surgery Participation in another weight loss or physical activity study that would interfere with this study, or taking a weight loss medication A member of a participant’s self-identified close social network is a participant Reason to suspect that the participant would not adhere to the study intervention or assessment schedule If graduate student, being in a support or evaluative role of undergraduates on same campus (e.g., resident advisor/director, teaching assistant, coach). If so, this person may be excluded or asked to wait to join a cohort with students from other universities. Medications – not stable on dosage for 3 months*

^*Participants who receive health-care provider consent may be eligible to participate in study